His Princess
by Kanaydian Dragon
Summary: Shannon Moore, the Prince of Punk, has found a woman worthy of being his Princess. But will past circumstances tear them apart or will their royal union survive the strain? Shannon x OC, Jeff x Beth
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing besides any OC characters in this story. Other characters are copyright by WWE and used here without permission or profit.**

**Author's note: I've been reading so many stories on here lately in wrestling that I couldn't help but be inspired to get back into writing again. I've already gotten several chapters written on this story, they just need typing up. I wasn't going to post anything until I was finished the entire thing, but I changed my mind. Hopefully I'll be able to do it justice and update frequently, especially once I've reached the end of the pre-written chapters.**

**Also, if someone is interested in beta-ing for me, please contact me. I've been contacting several betas for this story, but so far my responses have been none at all and one that couldn't at the moment due to personal problems so they wouldn't have time to do it.**

**Re-uploaded 08/26/08**

* * *

Beth Britt paced nervously outside the courtroom doors, her cell phone clutched tightly in her hand as she desperately sought reassurance from her boyfriend, Jeff Hardy. The past two weeks had been an utter nightmare for her, starting with the summons she'd received stating that her older half-sister, Cynthia, was contesting their father, Roger Britt's will.

Beth hadn't seen Cynthia in ten years, ever since she'd run away following the death of their mother. _And that was all her fault, too!_ Beth thought with a sudden vicious streak. _Now, with father's death, she so conveniently reappears in my life!_

"Beth, I really wish I could be there for you, darlin'," Jeff said sincerely, trying to keep his tone calm yet sympathetic at the same time. He knew all too well just how stressed Beth had been for the past two weeks - she'd barely discussed anything but the half-sister that had torn her family apart before Beth herself had even become a teenager.

"I know, baby," Beth said, sniffing gently. She ran a hand through her hair before she continued - both speaking and pacing. "But you can't skip out on work to hold my hand. Much as I would love that right about now." She took a deep breath, trying to quell the nausea building deep within her stomach.

"Things will work out, Beth," Jeff said with a confidence he didn't entirely feel. "That bitch doesn't have a leg to stand on. That money is rightfully yours."

"Yeah," Beth replied, nodding even though there was no way for Jeff to see the movement. She looked up to see her lawyer coming down the hallway directly toward her. The middle-aged man with pepper-gray hair and kindly blue eyes was motioning silently to his wrist watch, signaling that her time was just about up and they had to go back into the court.

"Jeff, I gotta go. Recess is nearly over, its time for the closing statements."

"Okay, Beth. Good luck, gorgeous. I love you."

Beth felt her body turn warm at Jeff's words. He was such an amazing - not to mention, unusual - man who had women throwing themselves at him, yet he'd chosen her to be with. She felt blessed to have him in her life.

"I love you too, Jeff. I'll call you when its over."

They each said a quick good bye and Beth closed her cell phone and turned it off before pocketing it. She turned to follow her lawyer back into the court room, murmuring a thank you as he held the door open for her. She moved past him silently, walking up towards her seat. As she lowered herself into the hard wooden chair, she heard the door behind her open again. Her entire body seemed to go rigid as she sensed the presence of her long-lost half-sister and the woman's lawyer. Potentially those two held the power to rip away everything her father had worked so hard for all his life, everything of which should have rightfully gone to her upon his all-too-recent death.

The judge returned moments later - a woman in her sixties with pale skin and long grayish-white hair pulled back into a tight, neat bun - and court was brought back in session. She gave the order for the lawyers to start their closing statements and Cynthia's lawyer rose steadily to his feet.

Michael Westmoreland looked to be in his late forties or early fifties with a surprisingly minor touch of gray along the sides and top of his head upon the hair line. The rest of his hair was a dark chestnut color. Judging by his physique, it was clear that he was a man who took good care of himself - ate right and went to the gym at least a few times every week. He cleared his throat and took a sip of water from the plastic cup that had been sitting in front of him, then returned the cup to the table. He moved around the side of the table and forward until he was mid-way between the judge's bench and the table he'd just vacated.

"Your honor, the facts in this matter are clear. Roger Britt was of sound mind and body when he made his will out more than twenty-three years ago. It clearly states that his entire estate was to be left to his wife and child. In the event that one might predecease him, that person's share would go to the other. Since Roger's wife has been deceased for ten years now, that leaves the only 'child' that could have been indicated in that will - my client, Miss Cynthia Britt. The defendant hadn't even been born at the time that the will had been written out. My client had been the legally adopted child of Roger Britt for nearly two years at the time the will was written. Legally, under the terms of the law, the defendant was not a child but a fetus at that time, and thus the will cannot apply to her."

Michael continued to use elaborate legal jargon to state his client's case, but Cynthia's mind barely registered what he was saying. She just sat there staring at her hands, folded and resting upon the surface of the table. Her mind wandered, unable to focus on what was happening around her. It was hard to fathom the circumstances that had brought her to this point, where she was using a legal loophole to take Roger's money away from Elizabeth. Yet given the chance, she would choose no other course of action. The money had the potential to do some good greater rather than whatever her younger half-sister had intended for it.

Cynthia nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a hand touch her own. Her gaze swung up to meet Michael's, who met her look with a kind expression.

"Don't worry," he whispered, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. "It's almost over."

Cynthia nodded, taking a deep breath. Michael was assured of their victory, though she was still skeptical. Succeeding on the strength of a technicality seemed like such a weak possibility to her, but she had been resolved through it all to place her trust in the middle-aged lawyer sitting next to her and she wasn't about to stop now.

Beth's lawyer rose from his seat.

"Your honor, this is not a case that should have ever made it to court. The plaintiff deserted her family for ten years. Ten years," he emphasized. "Clearly, she has only shown up now because she somehow heard that Roger Britt had passed away, looking to see what she might be able to benefit from his death. Greed is clearly a motivating factor for her. He may have adopted her as a child but, for his own reasons, he had no intention of remembering her in his will. That's why he left his estate to his wife and child, because he had no idea at that time what gender his biological child would be. Elizabeth Britt, the only biological child that Roger Britt has ever had, is the rightful recipient of her father's estate."

Cynthia watched the lawyer with a passionless expression as he stated Elizabeth's case while managing to slander her at every possible turn. She wondered what he - hell, even Elizabeth - would do if they knew the truth. But no, she was determined that they not know. Not even if her case was lost. Because that was something that she didn't need to know about. Despite the way they'd parted and hadn't seen each other in ten years, Cynthia still cared about Elizabeth. It may be in a fucked up kind of way, especially considering what she was trying to do here today, but what had really happened ten years ago was something that Elizabeth wouldn't be able to handle, especially considering how badly she had idolized her father.

Beth's - which is what Elizabeth had long preferred to be called - lawyer rested his case and returned to his seat. Silence fell as the judge looked at her hands, her fingers interlaced. Her chair swiveled a few inches from side to side as she considered the case before her in its entirety in the few silent moments that passed.

All eyes were on the judge and the air of tension in the room seemed to thicken as she finally lifted her head and surveyed the people in her courtroom.

"I believe that it was Roger Britt's intention when he originally wrote his will to leave his estate to his wife and as-yet-unborn biological daughter. For his own reasons, which I can not begin to speculate upon, he chose not to leave his adopted daughter something in his will." She paused, knowing that the defendant was feeling a spark of hope that she was about to win the case, and regretted that she was about to crush that hope. "However, it is my job to make decisions based upon the laws and not my personal opinion. Under the law, Elizabeth Britt was not legally a child but a fetus at the time the will in question was made. I therefore find for the plaintiff in this matter. All assets - the house and all of its contents, the car, stocks, bonds, and cash are now legally the property of Cynthia Britt." She brought her gavel crashing down, the noise signaling that the case was officially over.

Beth sat there stunned. _How could this have happened?_ She wondered. She'd been worried about the outcome of the case, of course, but her lawyer had assured her that Cynthia didn't have a leg to stand on legally. What was she going to do? She had been living in her father's home ever since she'd been born. Hell, she'd been conceived in that house! She owned nothing in it except her clothing. While deep down she knew that Jeff would not allow her to become homeless, she couldn't help but picture herself roaming the streets, pushing her clothes in a stolen grocery cart. She immediately began to feel sick and she wondered if she would throw up in the next few minutes.

Cynthia had won but she didn't feel triumphant. It was yet another wedge driven between herself and Elizabeth, this one willingly created by herself. She got up and left the courtroom, feeling as though she could collapse at any moment. Michael seemed to understand how she was feeling and allowed her to leave without saying anything. He quietly gathered up his papers and left the courtroom, but not before making a brief stop at the defendant's table to inform Beth that she was expected to move out of her home as quickly as possible because the house, its contents, and the land beneath it would be going up for sale as soon as ownership of the house could be transferred into Cynthia's name. It was also implied that any deliberate damage done to the house between now and the time that Beth permanently vacated the house would result in charges being laid against her.

Needless to say, it was several hours before Beth felt strong enough to call Jeff and tell him she had lost. Even then, she began to tear up almost right away. Uncontrollable sobbing followed soon after, Jeff only being able to listen impotently on the other end as Beth cried her heartache out to him. In just a few brief moments so much had been torn away from her - more than just money or the monetary worth of the possessions left to her.

Once Beth's sobbing eventually lessened, Jeff instructed her to go home, spend the night reliving her memories, then the next day pack up what belonged to her and bring it to his house in Cameron, North Carolina. When Beth tearfully informed him that her car - the ownership papers bearing her father's name - now belonged to Cynthia, he told her he'd call Shannon and get him to help her move. He stayed on the phone with her for as long as he could, talking with her and consoling her as best he could from hundreds of miles away, but eventually his cell phone started to die and he was forced to say a temporary good bye to her.

* * *

Shannon Brian Moore - childhood friend of Jeff Hardy, and his older brother Matt - looked down into his trunk at the last remaining box that contained Beth's belongings. Beth was Jeff's girlfriend and his friend. When Jeff had called him yesterday, telling him the situation, he'd agreed to help Beth bring her things to Jeff's house. He didn't have to think twice about it.

_How could anyone do something like that to someone as sweet and kind as Beth?_ He wondered. _This sister of hers must be some real bitch._

Finally, Shannon reached into the trunk and pulled out that last box. It was roughly square, each side measuring approximately two feet in length, and a regular cardboard brown color. There was almost no weight to it, leading Shannon to believe that it contained nothing more than some of Beth's clothing. He carried it over to the house, going up onto the porch and walking inside the open door. Just inside, a meager pile of boxes, bags, and suitcases comprised all the possessions that Beth had been able to bring with her from her home. She hadn't moved anything yet - as Shannon had stopped in front of Jeff's home, the tears that Beth had been silently holding back had them burst forth, running down her face in a small flood. He'd encouraged her gently to go inside, telling her he'd carry her things in for her, and she hadn't hesitated to flee into the safety of the house.

Shannon continued to stand there, torn between leaving and going to see Beth before he took off. Considering both choices, he figured after a moment that he couldn't just leave her in her current state without trying to offer her some comfort.

Beth lay sobbing on Jeff's bed, tightly clutching one of his pillows to her chest, when Shannon found her. When she heard the door open, she immediately sat up, trying to compose herself.

"Oh, Shannon..." she said, swiping at the tears still making tracks down her face. She was still trying to rid herself of them when he sat himself gently beside her, looking awkwardly at his hands.

_I need to touch up the black nail polish again... _Shannon thought as he examined his fingers.

"I brought all your stuff in," Shannon said, then glanced at Beth. She avoided his gaze, not sure if she could handle the pity she was sure she would find in his expression. She managed a small nod to acknowledge that he had spoken.

"Do you want me to stay a while?"

Beth shook her head negatively. "No." She sniffed loudly, raised her head then just as quickly dropped it when she caught her reflection in the mirror over Jeff's black dresser. "No," she repeated. "I just need some time alone."

Shannon reached for Beth and pulled her to him, undeterred by the way she automatically stiffened at his touch. He wrapped his thickly muscled arms around her and waited, tucking her head under his chin. Soon enough she let go of her tension and returned Shannon's hug.

"I know things seem like they've turned to shit for you, Beth, but Jeff, me an' the other guys are all still here for you. Don't forget that, okay?"

"I won't," she replied, her voice partially muffled against his shirt. "Thanks for reminding me."

Shannon left Jeff's home a short time later. He still couldn't help but wonder what kind of woman this Cynthia was to have done what she did to Beth, her own sister of all people. He didn't know much about the woman, admittedly, as Beth had never spoken about her until the lawsuit had forced her to speak of the long-lost and much-loathed sibling, but from what he'd been told she had been nothing but a spoiled, selfish teenager and time had done nothing to change that. He found himself hoping that he never met the woman because he wasn't sure that he could hold back from verbally bitch slapping her if he did.


	2. Chapter 2

**Re-uploaded 08/26/08**

* * *

_Two months later..._

In the parking lot at Vass Fitness Center, Shannon grabbed the handle of this black and red gym bag and pulled it across the passenger seat as he got out of his car. He shut the door - not bothering to lock it as car theft wasn't a really something that happened around these parts - and stood there for a moment, rotating his neck until he heard a satisfying crack. He checked the time on his wrist watch and noted that he was a bit early. Matt and Jeff weren't supposed to be here for another twenty minutes, give or take a few. He could always get started early or hang out with some of the regulars until the guys arrived.

Shannon headed for the main entrance of the gym, briefly considering each option as he walked. As he reached the door, his hand automatically moved to grab the handle and pull, unaware that someone on the other side of the door was simultaneously trying to push it open. As Shannon gave the handle a sharp pull, he was surprised as he heard a feminine yelp right before a body came tumbling toward him. The impact made him stumble backward a few steps even as his arms instinctively raised to cradle the body now pressed up against his chest.

She was petite, was his first thought. That she smelled good - coming out of a gym, no less - was his second.

After a seemingly endless moment, he felt her hands press against his chest and released his hold on her.

"Sorry about that, my fault," the woman said as she moved back to look at the man she'd fallen into. The moment her eyes found his, she seemed to take a mental pause.

But that was okay, because Shannon was also struck dumb by the sight before him. She was... gorgeous. Heavenly. Being a professional wrestler, he'd met and worked with a lot of beautiful women, but for some reason he'd become mentally paralyzed upon looking into bluish-green eyes in a heart-shaped face framed by a golden mane of hair.

They could have been standing there for seconds or minutes - unlikely that it would be hours because at some point someone would have come or gone through the gym's doors, thus interrupting their visual orgy - as both had temporarily lost the ability to sense the passage of time. It was the ringing of a cell phone that brought both of them back to reality. Shannon automatically checked his cell phone, even though it wasn't a ring tone he normally used.

"Hello?... Yes, I'm just leaving now... Okay, what do you need me to pick up?... Alright, fine. I'll see you later, then... Ok, bye." She ended the short call and closed the phone, watching Shannon as he bent down to pick up her gym bag, which she had dropped when she'd come flying out the door. He straightened and handed the bag to her, both of them keenly aware of the tingling that shot through their hands as they touched.

"Sorry," she said again, this time unsure if she was apologizing because she'd bumped into him or for the strange sensation they'd shared as their hands had touched.

"No, its my fault," Shannon said. He had pulled the door open a little too strongly, after all. Though in his defense, he hadn't expected anyone to be attached to the other side.

There was a brief awkward pause that fell between them. She was the first one to shake it off and muttered something about having to leave right before she left Shannon standing by the gym's main entrance.

Shannon watched the woman walk away, trying to dismiss the feeling that he shouldn't just let her leave. After all, when was the last time a woman had actually left him dumbfounded? Never, that he could recall. He started to follow her but before he could take more than a couple of steps, she was already getting into her car and seconds later was driving away.

Shannon watched the car drive off then turned to go into the gym. He knew how he'd be spending the time until Matt and Jeff arrived - pumping Marty, they gym's owner, for information about the woman who'd stunned him into temporary immobility.

* * *

Matt and Jeff Hardy - brothers separated by three years in age with vastly different appearances - arrived at the gym to find Shannon standing at the counter talking with Marty. Though Marty was nearing middle age, he obviously took good care of himself His dark stone gray hair and slightly wrinkled face spoke his true age, while his body was more typical of a man closer to half his age.

"I'm sorry, Shannon, but you know that I can't give out personal information on my clients. Which is something I'd think you'd appreciate after all the calls and drop-ins I got when you and Matt filmed one of your shows here. People offering bribes for me to give them your and Matt's addresses. Even people asking about Jeff and Shane were phoning in."

Shannon hung his head and stared at the counter. "Yeah, I know," he sighed. "I don't know what it is about this girl - I only saw her for like a minute but damn... It felt like being punched in the gut, without the impact of the blow or the pain."

Jeff and Matt shared a look, each wondering what had happened to Shannon to have him so worked up over a girl he'd apparently seen just the one time. And a brief time, at that.

They walked over to the counter, Matt leading the way. As they got within a few feet of Shannon, he sensed their presence and turned just before Matt slapped his shoulder in a friendly manner.

"What's up?" Matt asked, directing the question to Shannon.

"Our resident Prince has become sweet on a girl." The voice belonged to a woman named Sue. She helped Marty run the gym and was referred often as the 'house mom' by most of the guys who went to the gym. She was one of those ladies that didn't like to mention her age, but to look at her one might guess she was in her late twenties, maybe early thirties at the most. Her long straight hair - which was usually held back with a simple hair elastic - came to about midway down her back and the color was usually a light brunette with blond highlights that became more visible during the summer months when the sun brought them out.

"Sue!" Shannon said in protest, partially turning to face her.

"Don't bother denying it Shannon," she said as she walked by him and both Hardys, going behind the counter to stand next to Marty. "You've been bugging Marty about her since you came in here."

As Shannon struggled not to blush in embarrassment - he'd brought the matter on himself, after all - she continued. "We can't give out personal information, as you know, but what I can tell you is that she usually comes in every one to three days, anywhere between one and five." In the afternoon, of course. Vass Fitness wasn't a gym that was open 24/7.

Marty said nothing. He barely even glanced at Sue beyond a subtle eye shift. He was comfortable with what Sue had revealed - nothing personal about the woman.

"Thanks, Sue," Shannon said quietly. It wasn't much, but it was more than he'd gotten out of Marty and it was enough to give him the chance of meeting the woman again.

Sue watched as Shannon, Jeff and Matt walked away from the counter and toward the mens' locker room to change for their workout. She had a feeling that it wouldn't be long before Jeff and Matt were ribbing Shannon about his behaviour over a girl he'd just met and barely talked to, but the romantic within her couldn't help but make her smile. Her instincts told her that Shannon had just experienced the phenomenon known as love at first sight. She only hoped that whatever feelings he had or would have for her, that Cynthia would return them.

"So what was that about, man?" Jeff asked Shannon as they and Matt walked into the mens' locker room.

"I don't know," Shannon replied. He dropped his gym bag onto the nearest bench and began to strip himself of his shirt. "This girl - she looked like an angel - just fell into my arms when I pulled the door open. We didn't even speak ten words to each other..." He paused as he remembered their all-too-brief conversation. "Well, a little bit more than ten words, I guess." He shook his head. "I don't know what it was about her, she just... knocked me for a loop."

"Sometimes all it takes is just a few words," Jeff said, a smile of reminiscence lighting up his face.

"Thinking about Beth?" Shannon asked.

"Yeah," Jeff replied, nodding once. "I think I knew the first time I saw her at that party. You know the one? After me and Matt won the tag team championship for the first time.

"I remember that," Matt said, finally speaking. He was a bit jaded as far as relationships went - but then who could blame him after what Amy Dumas had done to him - but he loved Beth like a sister and she was good for Jeff. They loved each other and made each other happy, which was all that really mattered to him. Though it was too early to tell just yet, if Shannon had found the same thing for himself with this mystery woman, then Matt would be happy for him as well. "You sorta knew right away, but Beth wasn't as sure. She was a little intimidated by your personality until she got to know you better."

Jeff laughed. "Yeah, she told me that eventually. She said that my 'uniqueness' scared her until she got used to my 'off-the-wall approach to life'," he said, adding air quotes to the words that had come directly from Beth.

All three of them chuckled.

"How is she holding up?" Shannon asked. He hadn't really had any contact with her for close to two weeks now and he was curious to hear how she was doing.

"She's settled in alright. It's great having her living with me even though the way it happened isn't how I imagined it. I just wish she'd let me help her with her tuition. she's determined to do it on her own and she even started a second part-time job. I know she wants to prove she can still be independent but she's going to exhaust herself at the rate she's going."

"She'll have to figure out that she needs help before she'll accept it," Matt said wisely. But then he was usually the brains of their group.

Matt had already finished changing and was now putting his hair up in a ponytail. "When she's ready, you'll be there for her."

Jeff nodded. "Hopefully it'll happen sooner rather than later. I hate to see her pushing herself so hard when she doesn't have to."

Jeff and Shannon quickly finished getting ready. After Jeff put his bag inside a vacant locker, he turned to face the other two men. "Y'all know I'd never hit a woman," he said, his Southern accent stronger for the deep emotions he was feeling for his woman, "but I'd love to have five minutes alone with the one that did what she did to Beth."

Matt and Shannon made noises of assent, indicating that they felt the same way.

* * *

Several hours later - long after the guys had finished their workout and shared an early supper at a local diner before going their separate ways - Shannon was at the grocery store in Whispering Pines picking up the things he needed for a taco salad. He already had most of what he needed at home, he was just here for the few things that weren't stored in his cupboards or refrigerator.

The place was pretty empty at this time of day, Shannon noted when he walked inside. _Probably at home eating,_ he thought. He paused by the short line of cash registers on his way in, smiling and waving to the girl working the second register. He thought her name was Marie or Margret but he wasn't sure if either was correct, or if her name even began with an 'M'. She blushed and returned his wave, then ducked her head. She was shy and Shannon knew she had a crush on him so he tried to be nice to her whenever he happened to see her working. Perhaps he shouldn't encourage her infatuation but he didn't see the harm in it. Besides it being something of an ego boost - he knew he was attractive but it was still nice to have it affirmed - he never saw her outside of the grocery store.

Shannon didn't bother grabbing a basket - for the amount of items he was here for he didn't see the point - and headed for the junk food isle. As he rounded the corner he stopped dead and felt his heart plunge straight to his feet.

Less than half way down the isle, trying to reach something on the top shelf, was the very same woman that had fallen into his arms at the gym earlier. Really, what were the odds that he'd run into her twice on the same day in two locations that were miles apart?

She still looked like an angel, albeit one dressed in blue jeans an a baby pink short-sleeved t-shirt. If there was some kind of logo on the front of that t-shirt, he couldn't see a hint of one from this vantage point. Her blond hair - which in his mind he still referred to as golden - had been put into a ponytail that had been tied at the back of her head.

The woman's right hand fumbled around the edge of the top shelf, searching for something as she quietly cursed to herself. If Shanon had to hazard a guess, he would say she was insulting the intelligence of the person who had stacked the item in question so high up.

Shannon snapped out of his daze when he realized the precariousness of the position the woman was in. Her feet were balanced dangerously on the edge of the second shelf from the bottom, one hand gripped at the edge of the shelf that was currently chest-high, while her other hand fished around for something he couldn't make out from where he was standing. It wouldn't take much for her to fall, he knew. He couldn't allow her to be hurt if there was something he could do to stop it from happening.

Slowly he moved to the other side of the isle and began walking down. He didn't hurry because he didn't want to risk attracting her attention until he was close enough to catch her should she fall.

Cynthia, meanwhile, was unaware she was basically being stalked. She had a single purpose in mind - to get the sole bottle of Pepsi Blue from the top shelf in this isle. The pop itself was a brand that had been discontinued some months prior, but not until after she'd gotten hooked on the flavor. She didn't even know why she liked it so much; it tasted nothing even remotely like regular Pepsi and more like carbonated blue Kool-aid. When she'd tried to grab the bottle the first time, she'd accidentally knocked it over. She hadn't wanted to bother any of the employees which was why she'd been trying to retrieve it herself when Shannon discovered her.

Cursing softly, she raised one foot up to the next shelf and pushed up on it. Feeling her fingers close around the bottle, she let out a small sound of triumph. No longer solely focused on her goal, she finally realized that she wasn't alone in the isle. She caught a glimpse of Shannon out of the corner of her eye.

Shannon saw Cynthia's head turn toward him and that was when it happened - her hand slipped off the shelf and she yelped as she began to fall backward. Her eyes snapped shut and her body instantly tensed up in anticipation of an impact with the hard floor.

Shannon saw her start to fall and rushed the last few steps to catch her. Grunting softly as he caught her, Shannon's arms found purchase at her back and behind her knees. Not that she really weighed that much - he was certain she'd weigh in at under 120 pounds - but the drop into his hands had caused his arms to drop with her weight and he'd had to use his strength to pull her up so that she didn't land on the floor.

Cynthia was surprised when she didn't hit the floor. Even though she'd realized a moment before she'd fallen that there was someone - a man - in the isle with her, it hadn't occurred to her in the second that she'd had to think that he might try to catch her. Her heart raced in her chest and her eyes remained tightly shut. Though she'd been caught, part of her still expected to hit the floor.

A long moment passed as Shannon held Cynthia in his arms, both of them recovering from the shock of what had just happened.

"Hey," Shannon said quietly, giving Cynthia a tiny bounce with his arms. "You okay?"

Cynthia responded to the gentle masculine voice, trying not to focus on how it sent tingles down her spine. "Yeah. Yes." She took a deep breath. "I'm fine. Thank you for catching me." As she opened her eyes and tipped her head back slightly, she had to stifle a gasp of surprise as she looked into the face of the very same man whose arms she'd fallen into at the gym earlier that day. A small giggle escaped her throat. "You know, the phrase, 'We have to stop meeting like this,' springs to mind."

Shannon was immediately enchanted by her giggle. "I don't know," he said with a hint of a shrug - the best he could manage while holding her in his arms. "I can think of worse ways to meet someone than catching a beautiful woman in my arms."

Cynthia could feel the heat rise in her cheeks as she blushed. She blinked and demurely lowered her gaze.

Shannon carefully set Cynthia on her feet and reluctantly let his arms drop to his sides. "I hope I didn't embarrass you?" he asked earnestly.

"No," she admitted with a little negative shake of her head. "I... I liked it." And that wasn't all she liked, either. She found the man standing before her to be very attractive. Usually guys that looked like him were something to be avoided at all costs but him... Well, she didn't get the urge to run in the opposite direction. Instead, she felt drawn to him like the proverbial moth to a flame.

Staring at his face, she didn't realize when he moved one of his hands to cup the one of hers that still held the bottle of Pepsi Blue.

"So this is what you were after," Shannon said, speaking it as though he'd just solved a mystery.

"Yes," Cynthia said, even though Shannon's words didn't really warrant a reply. Anything to give him an excuse to keep talking. He had such a sexy voice. "Have you ever tried it?"

"Nah," Shannon said with a negative shake of his head. "I'm more of a Coke drinker myself." He winked at her, secretly delighted when she smiled and even laughed a little at his behavior. He actually did prefer Coke to Pepsi, though that wasn't really the point.

"So have you been living around here long?" Shannon asked, figuring it might be easier to get the woman's name and phone number - and hopefully a date as well - if he got to know her a little first.

"Several months now. I like the slower pace of living here as compared to living in a big, noisy city. How about you?"

"Not quite two years," Shannon replied. Because she seemed genuinely interested, he decided to explain further. "I've lived in the area, though all my life. Born and raised in Cameron."

"Is that far from here?" Cynthia asked as she moved toward her shopping cart to deposit the precious bottle of Pepsi Blue in the upper basket next to her purse.

"Not really. Vass is about mid-way between here and there."

They traded delightful banter back and forth for the next several minutes before he worked around to asking her what her name was.

"C.J. Coleridge."

"C.J.? That stand for anything?" Shannon asked, curios as to why she would introduce herself using initials.

"Yes," she said, making a face. The way she scrunched up her nose as she did so was something that Shannon found to be quite cute. "Cynthia Jasmine," she said after a moment, rolling her eyes as she made the admittance.

Shannon shifted his stance. The name 'Cynthia' had stuck a chord in him though he couldn't quite remember why. "That sounds beautiful," he told her. _Just like you, _he thought directly after his spoken words.

"Thank you," she said sincerely. "I just never really liked it much growing up. It was too... Well, its a bit hard to say. I guess the best way to put it would be that people were more willing to take someone named C.J. seriously than Cynthia Jasmine. I became so used to it when I was younger that I just prefer it now."

"Well then, C.J. Coleridge - whom I hope is single -" he added with a comic wriggling of his eyebrows, "I'm Shannon Moore and I'd love to take you out tomorrow. If you're available?" He held his hand out toward her and she slipped her dainty hand into his larger one. They shook briefly but continued to hold hands as she spoke.

"Well, Shannon Moore," she replied, her tone slightly joking to match his. "I'm not presently dating anyone and I'd love to go on a date with you. Unfortunately I'm not available tomorrow as I'll be swamped with work, but what about two days from now? In the evening?" She tiled her head enquiringly to one side.

"Great," Shannon said, nodding once. He was going to have to bail on the guys but it would be worth it, he was certain. He didn't want to risk this girl getting away. "You got a cell phone?"

Cynthia nodded and slipped her hand from his before reaching into the pocket of her jeans to retrieve her cell phone, which she handed to Shannon as he held his hand out for it. He flipped open the pink cover and proceeded to program his number into her address book. Once he was done, he handed her back her phone and then his, so that she could do the same for him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for reviewing. All reviews are appreciated.**

**Re-uploaded 08/26/08**

* * *

Shannon and C.J. talked several times on the phone over the next two days before their date. Prior to their parting at the grocery store, he had encouraged her to give him a call if she had time - he didn't want to risk disturbing her if she was busy, so better for her to call him should she find some spare time.

They'd spent those phone calls getting to know each other better, learning about interests, hobbies and careers. C.J. found it interesting that Shannon both wrestled professionally and ran his own tattoo shop while Shannon was suitably amazed that she'd recently opened a home for pregnant teenage girls - a place that offered counseling, parenting classes and adoption services. He sensed there was an underlying story there but didn't even begin to ask her about it. Until they'd spent more time together and hopefully formed attachments to each other, he didn't want to take even the slightest risk of pushing her away.

Shannon wanted to bring C.J. a small gift. Nothing too extravagant - he didn't want her to think he was trying to impress her with his money. He wanted to impress her, of course, just not financially. And he didn't want to go the usual route of flowers and/or chocolate. That was just too... normal. And while he didn't want her to consider him a freak or a weirdo, he would like to give her a taste of his individuality. If only he knew more about her tastes... But to do that would require him to speak to her about the kinds of things she liked. Not that they hadn't already done that to some extent, but further probing might tip her off as to what he was trying to do. He wasn't exactly the subtlest of men, really. But then he didn't usually try to be, either.

He'd figure something out before the time came to pick C.J. up for what he hoped would be the first of many dates.

* * *

C.J. pulled her new driver's license out of the envelope and looked over the enclosed letter. Nothing there that she hadn't expected. Still, she put the letter in the second drawer on the right side of her desk and closed it again. The envelope itself went into the small recycling bin next to the slightly larger garbage can.

This was it, the last piece of identification signifying the changing of her last name. She'd been considering for years changing her last name from Britt to that of her biological father's last name - that of Coleridge - but for some reason she had never done it before now. After going through court proceedings to take Beth's inheritance, she'd instantly started proceedings to have her last name legally changed. It seemed symbolic, in a way.Severing her ties to Beth in action as well as in name.

C.J. took the wallet out of her purse and took her old driver's license out. She slid the new one into the same slot and put the wallet back into her purse. There was a pair of scissors in the pencil holder on her desk that she picked up after a moment and then grabbed the old license in her other hand. In less than a minute it had been cut up into more than two dozen pieces which were quickly swept up into the garbage.

And just in time, for as the last minuscule piece of laminated paper fell into the garbage can, someone knocked on her door.

"Come in," C.J. called out after a quick glance at her clock. _Who could it be?_ She wondered. Shannon wasn't supposed to pick her up for another half hour.

But Shannon it was. He partially opened the door and inserted half of his body through the opening. "I know I'm a bit early. I hope that's alright?" he asked.

C.J. smiled warmly at him. "No, its fine." She stood and came around to the front of her desk, leaning casually against it. "I'm glad you're here," she admitted almost shyly. She went a little weak in the knees when he smiled at her.

Shannon opened the door wider and came the rest of the way through it. He watched C.J.'s face and secretly delighted in the way that her eyes lit up as she spied what he was carrying.

A bouquet of cookies on a stick. Twelve cookies in all, assorted flavors, individually wrapped in cellophane and tied with ribbons in a variety of pastel colors.

"They're lovely, thank you," she said sincerely as he handed her the cookie bouquet. She turned to place it gingerly on her desk, then grabbed her purse and keyring. As she turned back to Shannon, she was surprised to find that he had followed her. He sure moved quietly for someone his size!

Shannon raised one hand to tenderly cup her cheek, causing some wonderful sensations low in her belly. "You're beautiful," he said, looking deep into her eyes. She was pleased by the compliment, he could tell, even though she seemed to have temporarily lost her voice. He lowered his hand and reached for hers. "Ready to go?" She nodded, giving him a warm smile.

* * *

Shannon - C.J. quickly discovered - was what some people might call touchy-feely. Like in the office when he had touched her face, or the way he would always reach for her hand, or the several times he had hugged her. She hadn't expected him to be so affectionate physically, or at least not right off, but she found herself enjoying it and even anticipating it. Her fingers always curled around his when they held hands and her arms wrapped around him when he hugged her.

He took her to a travelling carnival that was set up less than an hour away and they spent hours there walking around. They played games, ate a variety of different junk foods, and went on several of the rides. C.J. enjoyed herself immensely, even on the two roller coasters that Shannon had somehow managed to talk her into riding.She didn't scream her lungs out as many of the other passengers did, but clung to him and buried her face in his jacket.

C.J. got to know Shannon as a fun, crazy guy who didn't feel like he had to restrict his true personality until he'd gotten to know her better. Shannon saw C.J. as a woman - a very beautiful woman at that - that wasn't anywhere near as crazy as him but also someone who didn't mind a little insanity in her life.It was a welcome distraction from the serious side of life that she lived running her group home.

As the evening wore on, Shannon proved numerous times that being a gentleman (where woman were concerned) was as much a part of his personality as his crazy attitude toward life.

He always made sure she was served first whenever they got something to eat or drink, he offered her his help when getting on and off rides, and while there were other instances of the gentlemanly way he treated her, her favorite moment by far was when he gave her his jacket to wear after it had gotten dark out and a chillier than usual wing began to blow. Of course it helped that he'd been wearing a muscle shirt so she got to admire his bare arms for the first time. She'd been so surprised to see that he'd had both arms almost entirely covered in various tattoos that she'd spent several minutes examining them, tracing more than one with her fingertips, while he stood there and indulged her. He explained what many of them represented and obligingly showed her the one on his stomach. This one especially she found herself wanting to touch, but instead refrained from doing so as she felt that was being too familiar on so short an acquaintance.

* * *

When they arrived back at the group home close to midnight, Shannon got out of the car first and came around to the passenger side to open the door for C.J. He offered her his hand and she placed hers in his without hesitation. He helped her out, glancing with slight amusement at the small purple gorilla held in her other arm. It was the first prize he'd won - one of several prizes they'd won together and the one she'd chosen to keep. The others had been bagged and stuffed in a donation box for a children's charity, which Shannon had driven out of his way to find.

Shannon wrapped an arm around C.J.'s shoulders as he walked her to the front porch. Standing beneath the glow of the porch lights, they turned to face each other.

"I had a wonderful- an amazing time tonight," C.J. said, looking up into Shannon's eyes.

Shannon placed a hand on C.J.'s neck, his thumb caressing the lobe of her ear. He felt her shiver under his touch and saw her eyes partially close, yet she continued to watch him. "I'm glad," Shannon said in a husky voice that was barely above a whisper.

"I- It's been a long time since I've had so much fun," she admitted.

"That's a shame," Shannon said, his thumb continuing to rub in slow, lazy circles over the outer edge of her ear. "You deserve a guy that will always make you laugh."

"You applying for the job?" C.J. dared to ask.

"Yeah, I am," was Shannon's simple reply. They may have been speaking in lightly joking tones, but C.J. could tell from the intense look in Shannon's eyes that he was very serious in that moment. "That okay with you?" he asked.

"Yes, very much so." C.J. was starting to sound like she was out of breath.

Shannon smiled, looking slightly predatory. C.J.'s state of arousal - tainted with just the right amount of fear - spiked up a notch.

Shannon leaned his head down and C.J. thought he was about to kiss her. But he didn't. Instead, his cheek grazed hers as he put his lips close to her ear. "Can I kiss you?" He smiled as he heard a whimper escape her throat, a smile which grew even bigger when she nodded her permission. Had he robbed ere of speech so easily then? He longed to stroke his tongue across her ear and her throat but decided to leave it for another time. He didn't want to overwhelm C.J. too much on their first date, after all. So he contented himself with stroking his cheek against hers as he pulled back. As he began to kiss her, pressing his lips against hers, his other hand came up to mimic the motions of the first.

As Shannon used his lips and hands more effectively than C.J. had expected, she could feel her mind slowly turning to mush. Every thought, no matter how remote, flow out of her head until all she could think about or focus on was the man tracing her lips with his tongue until she couldn't help but open her mouth to allow him entry.

Shannon felt elated when C.J.'s mouth opened to his tender onslaught. He swept his tongue into her mouth, stroking against hers.

C.J.'s knees buckled and she sagged against Shannon, who broke the kiss as he caught her. Both breathing heavily at this point, it was a moment before either was able to speak.

"Are you okay?" Shannon asked, his face pressed against the top of C.J.'s head.

"Yes," she replied, still feeling a bit unsteady on her legs. "I think I actually saw stars there for a moment," she admitted softly.

They stood together quietly for a while, enjoying simply holding each other, when the porch lights began to flicker in a pattern that indicated that someone was playing with the light switch.

Shannon couldn't help but laugh. "Someone's waiting up for you." In one way he was glad for the interruption. Things had escalated so quickly between them, especially in the last few minutes, that he knew it was better that they back off before the did something they weren't ready for yet. Considering the growing erection in his pants, he knew it wasn't too much of a stretch to consider the possibility that he would have fucked her standing up against the door.

Shannon tried to clear his head of the images that those thoughts produced. Too late, though. He had to force himself not to wince as he felt his cock grow even harder.

"How soon can I see you again?" he asked, taking one of her hands in his.

"My evenings are usually free," she answered, weaving her fingers between his. "There's someone else here to be with the girls then. There's also lunch, but I usually have it here." She inclined her head to the door a few feet away. "Then there's the odd afternoon when I'm able to get to the gym for a few hours, but I'm never quite sure when I'll be able to get away."

"Why don't I pick up something and come here tomorrow for lunch?" Shannon asked. "We can eat outside as long as its nice out," he suggested.

"It sounds wonderful. My lunch time is pretty flexible so whenever you want to come by would be good."

Shannon nodded and leaned down to kiss her again - he knew he was asking for trouble but he just couldn't help himself - when the porch lights started flickering again. Laughing, he pulled back. "I guess you'd better get inside before your watchdog comes outside looking for you."

"Yes, I guess I'd better," C.J. said reluctantly. She rose up on tiptoe and kissed Shannon's cheek. She then slipped away from him and went inside, closing the door softly behind her.

Shannon waited until the door closed behind C.J. before he turned and left.

Just inside the door, C.J. didn't even bother to stifle the giddy laughter that bubbled up inside her.

_God, tonight has been so amazing!_ There had been a few moments of uncertainty and discomfort, which was usual for two people getting to know each other, but those moments had been incredibly few and far between. They'd gotten along as though they'd known each other for much longer than two days.

"You look like you've had a good time," a slightly amused voice said.

C.J. looked up at the sound of the voice and smiled even wider. Meredith Annalise Baxter was C.J.'s partner in crime, so to speak. The two had met years ago in a home much like the one they currently ran. Both girls had gotten pregnant and ended up at the same group home. Though the circumstances surrounding each of their pregnancies was quite different, their time in that place had forged a friendship that had lasted over a decade and had given them the idea and drive to start a home for pregnant teenagers themselves.

Meredith was mainly of African-American decent with skin the color of warm caramel mixed with milk chocolate and thick black hair braided into small, neat corn rows. She was taller than C.J. by nearly six inches.

"Merry!" C.J. said, excitement clear in her voice. "Oh, he was wonderful, Merry!" C.J. pushed herself off of the door and twirled around in a full circle. "He's so different but we just clicked. And the way he makes me feel... I actually forgot how to stand when he kissed me just now." She sighed happily.

"You should see his arms!" C.J. suddenly exclaimed. "They're so huge! Both of my hands couldn't even wrap around his biceps. It was like this," she said, making a circle with both of her hands to demonstrate. There was a three to four inch gap between her finger tips.

Meredith whistled, suitably impressed. She would have never taken C.J. to be attracted to a muscle-head, but apparently she'd been wrong. It was great that her friend had found someone. She hadn't seen C.J. this happy in a very long time. Not that C.J. had been miserable - although there had been times when she'd been sad of course - but she was practically exhilarated!

"I'm happy for you," Meredith said sincerely. She smiled warmly as C.J. walked up to her and gave her a hug, one which she happily returned.

"Well, I'm off to bed," C.J. said cheerily as she released Meredith. The two separated - Meredith going to check on the door to make sure it was locked and C.J. to her bedroom, humming happily and wishing that she had a little friend that took a few AA batteries to help her work off the state of arousal that Shannon's kiss had left her in. She didn't seem to realize that she still wore his jacket.

* * *

**Warning! Graphic sexual content ahead!**

* * *

Shannon arrived home within ten minutes of leaving C.J.'s porch. His erection continued to throb the entire time, causing him to continually wonder how the hell a guy got blue balls from just kissing a beautiful woman. He felt as if he'd just gotten the best blow job of his life only to be left hanging at the last moment.

He headed straight for the bathroom, where he quickly stripped down. He turned the water on for the shower, making sure it was warm before stepping beneath the spray. One hand he placed on the wall in front of him, palm flat against the tiles, while the other slid down his belly for his erection.

_Fuck cold showers!_

With a soft moan, Shannon began to stroke a hand over his stiff penis. It ached so much! He closed his eyes and pictured C.J. the way she looked, smelled, felt, and even tasted. She was just so... naturally sexy. She had an indefinable quality about her that drew him in like the proverbial moth to a flame. He thought about their kiss, her soft lips, then imagined those same lips wrapped around his penis. The image alone was nearly enough to drive him over the edge. He tried to picture her naked, wondering how big her nipples were and if they were a strawberry pink or more of a pale dusky brown color. In his mind he saw her laying on her back in his bed. She raised her hands to him as he knelt between her spread legs, her hands coming to grip his shoulders. He leaned down to kiss her, his tongue easily sliding into her mouth. Breaking off the kiss when he needed to breathe, he rose and looked down at her, looking back at him with her face flush from arousal. She begged him to make love to her and he willingly obliged. His hand guided his stiff erection to the opening between her legs which he knew would provide him with so much pleasure, and her as well. He rubbed the head of his penis up and down her wet slit, coating it in her moisture, before pressing it into her hole.

She'd be tight - he was big and she was small, both of them in more ways than one - so he'd take care to sink into her slowly. Stopping several times to partially withdraw then press forward again, it wouldn't be long before he was in her as deeply as he could go, touching her cervix once he was fully seated within her. He'd hold still for a moment to let her adjust to his size, then start thrusting once she begged him to move.

Her face, along with her body, would slowly begin to tighten from all the pleasure he was giving her. She'd thrust her hips up against his as he'd thrust down into her. Their bodies would slap loudly against each other, the sound driving Shannon into a near frenzy. She felt so good that he could feel his orgasm approaching already. Too soon, though. He wanted to draw out the pleasure for as long as possible. She wasn't as close to her orgasm as he was. He pulled out suddenly, leaving her whimpering for the loss. But he wasn't stopping, just starting something different. He put his head between her thighs, admiring the view of her cleanly shaven pussy. He didn't like to see hair on a woman there and wouldn't go down on a woman who had a hairy bush. He just couldn't stand the feel of pubic hair rubbing on his cheeks. But no worries, because in his fantasy C.J. was as hairless and smooth there as the day she'd been born. He'd spread her lower lips with his tongue, making letters of the alphabet over her swollen clit.

Once she'd come, he'd give her a brief moment to recover before he turned her over so that she was on her hands and knees. He'd enter her from behind, his entry eased this time from his previous thrusting and her orgasm. He was able to sink all the way in with just one thrust. His hands held her hips tightly, setting the pace. He'd thrust over and over, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes hard, sometimes soft. When he couldn't hold it any longer, he thrust deeply one last time and froze, barely aware that C.J. was crying out from her second orgasm.

Back in the shower, Shannon gave a hoarse shout as he exploded. Semen shot from the tip of his penis and hit the wall, then slid down and circled the drain before disappearing. He continued to rub his fist up and down the shaft, milking it for every spurt until there was nothing left.

Shannon leaned back in the shower, resting his back on the wall behind him. He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, trying to bring it and his heart beat back under control. "Fuck," he muttered once he'd finally opened his eyes.

Damn, if one kiss and his imagination were that powerful, just think of how much better it would be when he got to make love to the flesh and blood woman.


	4. Chapter 4

**All reviews are appreciated. **

**I'm still looking for a beta so feel free to contact me.**

**Re-uploaded 08/26/08**

* * *

The following day, shortly after noon, Shannon arrived at the group home where C.J. both lived and worked with a picnic basket on the front passenger seat of his car. It was a large wicker basket, hand-made, with two handles. It was the kind of picnic basket one might picture if they thought of old-fashioned picnics, especially from movies. The contents of that picnic basket, though, were something other than your typical picnic fare.

Grabbing the basket and the red and white checkered blanket that lay next to it, he headed for the front entrance. The building that currently housed several pregnant teenage girls, a small staff comprised entirely of women, and - in his opinion, most importantly - C.J. herself, had once been used as a hotel. Shannon didn't know how to describe all that fancy stuff that made the house look old-fashioned, but if he had to give someone an idea of what it looked like, he'd tell them to picture the house from the TV show, '_Charmed_,' only a lot higher and a bit fancier-looking. It had three floors, not counting a small attic and a basement.

From C.J.'s descriptions, he knew that the basement was where she and the other ladies had their bedrooms. In addition, it was where laundry was done, cleaning supplies and non-monetary donations were kept, and a section of lockers (about the size one might expect to see at a bus station, mall or airport) that allowed girls that stayed at the group home to lock away any valuables - whether they had monetary value or emotional value - that they might possess. The main floor had offices, recreational areas, a kitchen, dining room, and a secure nursery. The nursery was presently empty but was intended to house those babies that were given up for adoption by their mothers until the adoptive parents were able to take them home. The second and third floors housed the girls that came to the home. There were only seven girls at the moment but the two floors together had a capacity of about forty girls in all.

Shannon opened the door and peeked inside. There was no one in sight as he entered, closing the door quietly behind him, but then a door opened near the other end of the hallway. A young girl, obviously pregnant, with short curly brunette hair came out of the room. Upon sighting Shannon, her eyes widened - in surprise or fear, he couldn't be sure. She gasped and backed into the room quickly. The door remained open, however, and a moment later a woman walked out quickly. She had a rich brown skin color and black hair braided into very fine corn rows. She regarded him for a moment before she smiled at him.

_That's more encouraging_, Shannon thought.

Meredith turned to say something to the girls in the room - probably to reassure them about Shannon's presence - before she shut the door and started walking down the hallway towards him. He opened his mouth to say something but closed it again when she pressed a finger to her lips, indicating the need for quiet. So he waited until she reached him and spoke first.

"Shannon?" she asked quietly. "I'm Meredith," she said once he'd nodded. She held her hand out for him to shake. They shook briefly and let go, continuing to regard each other silently.

"She's mentioned you," Shannon said politely. C.J. had told him about this woman, saying that they'd been friends that had met as teenagers and had continued that friendship despite the times and distances that had separated them during the course of that friendship.

"And she's more than mentioned you," Meredith replied with a low laugh. C.J. had talked a lot about Shannon with Meredith and Meredith had sat back and listened with amusement more than once. As Shannon smiled, Meredith tried hard not to let on how weak-kneed she felt from that expression of his. She felt a pang of envy that C.J. had met this punk Adonis first but she was happy for her friend. Besides, she had a suspicion that the chemistry between these two had been meant to happen. Her meeting Shannon first more than likely wouldn't have changed that.

"C.J. is in a meeting with a couple applying to become adoptive parents. It shouldn't be much longer. Would you like to come wait in the kitchen?"

"Sure," Shannon replied with a nod. "That'll be fine." He followed her as she led the way, hoping that C.J. would be finished soon. He was eager to see her again.

* * *

As C.J. saw the Andersons to the door and bid them good-bye, she noticed Shannon's car parked off to one side. She felt a small thrill shoot through her, knowing that he was already here. She closed the door behind her and fought the urge to run to the kitchen, where she'd asked Meredith to take him if he showed up before she was finished her interview with the Andersons. Instead, she hurried to her room and changed quickly, discarding her classic black pumps by the door and throwing her burgundy-colored business suit on the bed. She redressed in jeans, a t-shirt and running shoes - her preferred style of clothing. She kept the suits for meeting with prospective adoptive parents or potential donors to the group home.

A short time later - as quickly as she could get there without running - C.J. was standing in the doorway to the kitchen. Shannon and Meredith were sitting at the small table within, talking about something. That, though, she didn't get to hear. The moment she stepped into the kitchen doorway, Shannon just seemed to know that she'd arrived and turned to look at her. He rose instantly and quickly closed the distance between them in a few strides.

Shannon had forgotten about Meredith the instant he'd sensed C.J.'s presence and turned to find her standing there looking at him. His need to be close to her drew him out of his seat and before he knew it he was standing next to her. "Hey there, beautiful," he said, pleased to see the delightful flush that spread across C.J.'s face. He took both of her hands in his and brought them to his mouth, kissing both in turn.

"You're not so bad-looking yourself," C.J. said with a joking lilt to her voice. The truth was that she found him incredibly handsome and attractive. Even now, just being close to him was doing funny things to her insides.

Shannon, aware that they had an audience, merely pressed a quick kiss to C.J.'s lips instead of one much longer and involving the use of both their tongues. As he pulled back, he was gratified to see her smile. She should never do anything but smile, he decided in that moment. Unless she was expressing the ecstasy she would eventually be experiencing at his hands. Hopefully that would come sooner rather than later.

"Ready to go?" he asked, smiling at her when she nodded. He grabbed the picnic basket and blanket from the table and they both said a quick good-bye to Meredith, who waved them off with a happy smile.

C.J. led Shannon to the back door and outside. She sneaked a few glances at him as they walked through the back grounds.

"It looks nice here," Shannon said, aware of the short looks that C.J. was shooting him but not letting on that he was speaking because of that fact. "Kinda peaceful."

C.J. felt reassured. She didn't have much to base her instincts on but she somehow knew that Shannon wouldn't lie to her. "It's still a work in progress," she admitted. "I'd love to add a large gazebo in a central location in the garden but I'm having trouble deciding on what style and where exactly it should be."

Shannon listened attentively as she spoke, letting her lead him to whatever place she had in mind for their picnic. They moved down a narrow path, leaving the sight of the house. Shannon had to walk behind C.J., not that he minded. It gave him a chance to admire the view.

C.J. led Shannon to a small clearing that she'd found back when she'd first come here for a look at the property as a potential site for the group home. She'd discovered it accidentally when she'd stumbled over a tree root and crashed through a bush, which she told Shannon as she held a branch aside for him to pass.

"It's like you were meant to find it," he commented.

C.J. smiled because Shannon seemed to get it, get what she had meant and had even felt. She'd thought the same thing when she'd first discovered the place.

Shannon set the basket down and went to spread the blanket out under the biggest tree, which also happened to be throwing off the best shade. He turned to offer her his hand - which she accepted without hesitation - and helped her to sit on the blanket. He went to retrieve the basket and when he returned to the blanket, he set the basket between them before he sat next to her. He opened the basket and began unpacking it.

"Chinese food?" C.J. asked with a short laugh.

"Mmm hmm," Shannon murmured. He knew she liked Chinese food - she'd mentioned it in one of their previous conversations - so he hadn't been worried about bringing food that she wouldn't want to eat. "And that's not all." Shannon finished pulling out the food, napkins, utensils and a bottle of Coke. The next and last time he reached into the basket he pulled out another bottle of pop, which he offered to C.J.

"Pepsi Blue?!" Both surprised and pleased, she placed her hand over his on the bottle and leaned over to give him a kiss. The kiss was on the verge of progressing to the tongue stage when she pulled back. "How'd you manage to find it?"

"Well," Shannon began. He leaned back against the tree and placed his hands behind his head. "I was back at the grocery store yesterday picking up some Coke and on a whim I checked the top of the shelf. I found two bottles laying on their sides, as well as quite a bit of dust."

"Two?" C.J. asked, her expression perking up with interest.

Shannon held back the laughter that built up at C.J.'s hopeful tone. "Yep. But you have to be a good girl if you want the other one," he said playfully.

C.J.'s lower lip pushed out in a pout that Shannon found cute and slightly arousing. He raised his free hand and rubbed a thumb over her lower lip. She kissed the pad of his thumb while looking deep into his eyes.

_Boy, am I in trouble,_ Shannon thought. With only a few looks and even fewer touches, she had him ready to ravish her out here in the open.

They soon turned to eating, not saying much besides the occasional request for some dish or other that the other person was closer to. So it was a relatively quiet meal for the most part, but not uncomfortably so.

Once the meal had been consumed and the leftovers packed away, Shannon relaxed by leaning against the tree. He encouraged C.J. to sit with him and situated her between his legs so that she could lean back against his chest. He crossed his arms over her chest - one below her breasts and one just above - and she laid her hands over his forearms.

"That was good, thank you," C.J. said, not bothering to try to stifle the yawn that followed. She angled her head so that she could see Shannon's face.

"You're welcome," Shannon replied. He lowered his head and captured her lips. He could soon feel blood start to flow to his groin so he broke off the kiss gently, sighing as he did so.

The returned to sitting quietly for the next several minutes until Shannon spoke again.

"So what made you decide to start a place like this?" he asked. When she stiffened, shifting to try to cover it up, he only hoped he hadn't broached the subject so soon. "I'm sorry, if you're not comfortable talking about it-"

"No," C.J. interrupted. "It's not that. Well, it's not just that."

Shannon said nothing, suspecting that what C.J. was about to say was something that she needed to get out without interruption.

"I... Whatever's happening with us, its going so fast. Not that I mind the pace," she hastened to add. "I'm worried, though, about scaring you off."

Shannon's arms tightened briefly around C.J. "Don't worry, I'm a big boy. I don't scare easily," he said, speaking the words directly into her ear.

C.J. allowed herself to laugh before turning serious once more. "The whole thing that started me on the road to opening this place... well, some of it is too difficult for me to discuss. I don't know if I'll ever be able to share it all with anyone..." She took a deep breath before she continued. "Well, if we're going to continue seeing each other - which I would like very much-" At this, Shannon's grip tightened again for a moment, then he kissed her cheek, "-there are certain parts that are important for you to know." She took a moment to gather her thoughts and pick her starting point.

"I lost my father when I was only a year old. I have no memories of him. My mother was one of those women that had to have someone look after her - she was scared to be by herself. She married again before my second birthday and had her new husband adopt me. From what I understand and the few memories I do have, he raised me as his own and acted no differently than if I'd been his biological child. Then they had a baby, a little girl. Once he had her, he stopped treating me like a daughter and more like a house guest that had overstayed their welcome. It wasn't because there was a new baby in the house - it was like that for years, even once I'd become a teenager. But I never hated her for it, even as I became more wild and out of control. I drank, I smoked, even experimented with drugs. It was more for shock value than anything else. I never went so deep as to risk becoming addicted to anything. Things kept getting worse. One day, when I was sixteen, my mother died. I ran away, deciding I was never going to look back. Months later I..." C.J. paused to take a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. "I discovered that I was pregnant - at least four months. Less than two months later I ended up in a home similar to this one. My experiences there are what inspired me to open this place." She fell silent for a long moment, to the point where Shannon was on the verge of asking her what had happened with the baby when she spoke again.

"The people there were nice and one lady who volunteered there was related to a detective on the local police force who put me in touch with members of my father's family. My biological father, that is," she clarified. I went to live with my Aunt and Uncle - the uncle being my father's brother. He and his wife were unable to have their own children so we talked things out and when I had my baby - a boy named Riley - they adopted him and raised him as their own. They also helped me with my schooling and gave me a place to live, and let me see him whenever I wanted. I even babysat for them from time to time and when I moved away, there were times when he'd come to stay with me, during school vacations."

Shannon got what she was saying. The boy - Riley - that she had given birth to but had not raised was still very much a part of her life. If he continued to date her it was practically a guarantee that he'd meet Riley at some point.

"So?" C.J. asked when Shannon had been quiet for some time.

"What do you want me to say?" he asked, completely serious.

"I don't know," C.J. said with a small shrug. "That you don't care that I've already had a baby, that it doesn't bother you that you'll meet him at some point if we continue to see each other." C.J. subconsciously held her breath, waiting for Shannon's next reply.

"I have to be honest, C.J. I can't say that to you."

"Oh..." C.J. said quietly, suddenly feeling very small. She started to lean forward, away from Shannon, when he tightened his embrace and pulled her back against his chest. He had a suspicion that C.J. was starting to cry so he hastened to explain, not wanting to cause her even an ounce of misery.

"Now just hold on a minute," he said, maintaining his hold on her. "I'm not finished yet." He waited for her half-hearted struggles to cease before he continued. "I can't tell you that I don't care about you having had a baby because I do. I do care. I care about every experience you've had - whether good, bad, or somewhere in between - because every one of them has taken some part in shaping the woman you are now, especially you having had a baby. If you hadn't had Riley, in the circumstances you did, do you really think that you'd have ended up here, right now, having just had an amazing lunch with the incredibly sexy, handsome man holding you right now?"

A giggle escaped C.J.'s mouth before she could stop it. She raised a hand to swipe at a stray tear. "You forgot to add modest to that lists of yours."

"Yeah, but I didn't want to sound like I was full of myself, even if it happens to be true," Shannon said with a straight face. He turned C.J. so that her side was against his chest and both of her legs were draped over one of his. He kept one arm around her back and cupped her chin with his free hand. He tilted her face up as he lowered his head, pressing his lips to hers. His thumb pressed gently on her chin, encouraging her to open her mouth but not using enough pressure to force her to do so.

C.J. opened her mouth when she felt the light pressure of Shannon's thumb on her chin. As his tongue slid into her mouth, she moaned softly as an arrow of pleasure shot straight between her legs. Shannon's hand moved from C.J.'s jaw slid across her shoulder and down her back, pulling her closer to him.

They stayed there for a while, kissing and holding each other close, until C.J. reluctantly decided that it was time to return to work, much as she would have liked to stay there with Shannon. Or find some place more private, for that matter.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed and those that added me to their author/story alerts. **

**Re-uploaded 08/26/08**

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Several days passed by as Shannon and C.J. deepened their relationship with each other. Shannon had to travel three of those days for work but called C.J. when he could. And she looked forward to those phone calls, often dropping whatever she was doing to chat with him. Her hours in the office were usually flexible anyway, she just preferred to keep to a schedule so that she wouldn't fall behind. but Shannon had a way of making her forget just about everything aside from himself. She missed him more than she thought she would while he was away, but then she hadn't counted on becoming attached to him so quickly, either. She didn't think it was full-blown love yet, but it wouldn't take much for her to fall so completely head over heels for him.

The evening that Shannon arrived back home, it was just past nine in the evening. He went to his bedroom where he dropped his bag on the floor and flopped down on his bed. He lay there for a few minutes, completely still and trying to motivate himself to move. He opened one eye and peered over at the nightstand beside his bed. His intention had been to look at the time but his gaze was instantly captured by the framed picture standing just behind it. It was of him and C.J. on the last date they'd gone on before he'd left for work.

He'd taken her to a car rally - she'd previously expressed an interest in going - and a guy with a camera had been walking around taking photos of people. Shannon had paid him for two copies and given one to C.J. They had both turned out basically the same - him hugging her from behind, his arms crossed high over her chest, her hands placed over his heavily tattooed forearms, while they both smiled into the camera.

Shannon sat up. He may be tired and sore, but the thought of seeing C.J. made him forget about that to an extent. He reached for the cordless phone sitting in its charger and hit the speed dial for C.J.'s cell phone. It rang four times before she picked up.

"Hello?" C.J. answered, sounding out of breath.

"Hey, beautiful," Shannon said, smiling as he settled on the bed, leaning his back against the headboard and tucking his free hand behind his head.

"Shannon!" C.J. exclaimed happily. "You caught me getting out of the shower. Where are you?"

"I'm at home, just got back a few minutes ago."

"Really?" C.J. asked excitedly. "I thought you weren't going to be back until tomorrow."

Shannon felt happiness shoot through him at the excitement in her tone. She was as happy to have him back home as he was to be here. He tried not to picture her standing there clad in only a towel while her wet hair dripped water down her back. "I know its getting a bit late, but do you want to come over for a few hours? I'd really love to see you," he admitted.

C.J. felt a warm glow fill her at Shannon's words. "Sure. I'll get dressed and be right over."

"Great. I'm going to take a shower so just let yourself in when you get here, okay?"

"Okay, see you soon."

They both hung up then, C.J. so she could dressed and Shannon so that he could shower and take care of his arousal. He wasn't even half way to a full erection yet, but he knew being in C.J.'s presence wouldn't take long for that to change. He just wanted to spend a relaxing few hours with C.J. without the uncomfortable intrusion of a raging hard on.

* * *

C.J. was at Shannon's home less than half an hour later. She'd dressed quickly in her standard jeans and t-shirt and made her excuses to Meredith, with whom she'd been planning to watch a movie with, before driving directly over to Shannon's place. She let herself in as he'd instructed, moving quietly and listening for any sounds that would indicate what Shannon was currently doing. She couldn't hear the water running so she assumed that he'd already finished with his shower. Maybe he was getting dressed? She was hopeless at picturing what he looked like below the wait, but she'd so much of his arms and torso that imagining him shirtless was enough to make her feel warm and tingly all over.

"Shannon?" she called out, eager to lay eyes on him now that she knew he was so close by.

"In the bedroom," she heard him answer.

C.J. hurried through the house and met Shannon at his bedroom door just as he was leaving it. Her eyes took in his appearance - light gray sweat pants, blue and white basketball jersey, bare feet and black and blond striped hair left to hand loose.

Neither could remember which of them had made the first move but in the next moment they were clinging tightly to each other and kissing.

Shannon's hands roamed up and down C.J.'s back while hers clung to his shoulders. Their tongues stroked against each other, getting a taste of the most recent thing each had eaten.

When a lack of air forced them to pull back so they could breathe, Shannon pressed his forehead to C.J.'s. "Damn, I missed you, Princess," he said with complete honesty.

"I know the feeling," C.J. told him. Her hand slid across his cheek and over his neck to play in his hair.

"Come on," he said after they'd been standing there for a short while. "Let's go watch some TV." He rubbed a hand across her back as she nodded her agreement.

So they went and got settled together on the couch. Shannon sat at one end with C.J. leaning n him,her legs folded beside her. Shannon used one arm to hold her close, occasionally rubbing his hand up and down her arm. They chose a romantic comedy and sat there in silence, enjoying each other's company without the need to talk.

It was this easy silence, perhaps, that allowed both Shannon and C.J. to fall asleep without either noticing that the other was drifting off.

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**Warning!! Graphic sexual content ahead. If this bothers you, please skip ahead to the next chapter.**

**If you happen to love smut, then please enjoy! ;-)**

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It was C.J. that woke first, slowly coming to realize that she'd fallen asleep laying across Shannon's chest. The soft snores and the heavy arm draped across her back told her that Shannon was still in the grip of sleep. A glance at the clock on the DVD player told her that the time was shortly after midnight. On impulse, she rubbed a hand across Shannon's belly. When he didn't react, she dared to move it lower, soon feeling the waistband under the fabric of his jersey. She pulled the jersey up just high enough to slip her hand beneath the hem and directly onto warm bare skin.

_Mmm, much nicer,_ she thought to herself as she enjoyed the smooth, warm texture. Her thumb dipped into his naval as she drew her hand back across his belly so she stopped to circle it a few times.

Shannon slowly became aware of what C.J. was doing to him and feigned sleep for a few moments. When her thumb began to play around his naval, he couldn't help the way his muscles clenched, alerting her to the fact that he was awake.

Surprised and a little embarrassed at having been caught, C.J. immediately stopped what she was doing. She raised her head to look into his face, her hand remaining low on his belly. "Hey," she murmured.

"Hey," he said, echoing her quiet tone and wishing that she would continue with the way she'd been touching him. "You don't have to stop," he said a moment later. What the hell, he'd never been one to let fear rule him.

C.J. was a little surprised but started her hand moving again, this time sliding it gradually higher while watching his face for every little reaction.

Shannon closed his eyes and concentrated on the path C.J.'s hand was taking as it moved higher up his chest. She found one of his nipples and stroked it repeatedly with her fingertips, loving the sound of the soft sighs that he began to make.

The hand Shannon held at C.J.'s back moved lower, delving beneath the hem of her t-shirt to caress her lower back.

C.J. almost immediately began to squirm and arched her back away from his touch. "Shannon, that tickles!" she protested.

"Sorry," Shannon said, not sounding overly so. He stopped moving his hand, though continued to keep it pressed against her lower back.

C.J. rose up onto her knees and leaned over to kiss Shannon's mouth, nibbling gently on his lips while she slipped her other hand beneath Shannon's shirt. While she had his mouth occupied, she straddled his lap and wiggled her hips as she settled into place.

Shannon stifled a groan as C.J. settled herself squarely over his steadily hardening erection. Only a few layers of cloth separated their most intimate parts now. He broke off the kiss and leaned his head back, his eyes closing as he struggled to suppress the urge to tear C.J.'s clothes off and make wild passionate love to her right here on this couch.

"Shannon?"

At C.J.'s worried tone, he opened his eyes to see her biting her lower lip. "Stop that," he said gently, raising a hand to her mouth to stop her from continuing to bite her lip. "You have nothing to worry about. You didn't do anything wrong and nothing I didn't like."

C.J. was reassured and her smile showed it. She leaned forward but was stopped by Shannon putting his hands on her shoulders. Surprised, she could only look at him questioningly.

"I am an idiot," Shannon said.

"And why would you say that?" C.J. asked with a gentle laugh. She flexed her fingers into his pectoral muscles.

"Because I didn't think to buy condoms." He rubbed one hand over his face in a frustrated manner. He found himself torn between wanting C.J. to continue what she was doing or stop it. He loved the way she was making him feel but he didn't think it was wise to continue if it couldn't lead to anything more.

C.J. paused, staring at Shannon as he sat there, eyes closed and brows furrowed in concentration. It was nice that he was worried about protection - and it raised him the the level of esteem she had for him - but thankfully his concern wasn't necessary. "Shannon, I have an IUD," she told him. She allowed herself a small smile as he opened one of his eyes and peered at her hopefully.

"A... what?" he asked. He had a feeling it was some kind of contraceptive but he didn't want to make assumptions. Best to have C.J. explain it to him. He wasn't worried about looking like a fool - he'd be a bigger one if he guessed wrong and didn't find out until it was too late.

"An IUD," C.J. repeated patiently, then launched into a quick, concise explanation of what it was and how it functioned, aware of the intense look that returned to Shannon's eyes. Then, because she felt it prudent to add, she said, "I was last tested a little over a year ago but I haven't been with anyone sexually in about three years."

"They test us a couple of times a year at work - its mandatory, because bloodshed can happen in the ring whether its meant to or not. I can't remember exactly when I was tested, but I haven't been with anyone since before the second last time I was tested." He put his hands on her hips. "So... we good to go, then?"

Instead of answering verbally, C.J. let her actions speak for her. She leaned back and pulled her shirt over her head, exposing the white lacy bra she wore beneath.

Shannon took a moment to admire the view before moving his hands to the front clasp on her bra. He opened it slowly, sliding the two halves apart and pushing the straps down her shoulders.

_Pink nipples_, he thought with a trace of smugness. His hands came up to cup them, the rough pads of his thumbs circling her nipples and making them hard.

C.J. moaned and closed her eyes. Shannon's hands felt so good! When Shannon leaned forward and replaced one hand with his lips, she cried out and arched her back, pressing her breast more firmly against his mouth. "Shannon!" she gasped.

Shannon took his time pleasuring each breast in turn, alternating the use of his hands and mouth. He loved the way C.J. would gasp and moan, grinding her pelvis against his occasionally. One of his hands soon slipped between her legs and rubbed back and forth across the apex of her thighs, through the cover of her jeans.

C.J. bucked her hips against Shannon's hand, making little cries of need as she moved her hands to his shoulders and clung tightly.

"Oh! Mmm! Yes!" she cried breathlessly. "Don't stop!"

As Shannon looked into C.J.'s face and saw the intense way she looked, her eyes tightly closed as she focused on the sensation of touch, he realized with some surprise that she was ready to cum. Deciding to take her over the edge instead of delaying her orgasm, he pressed his fingers harder between her legs and captured one nipple between his lips. He bit down on it gently, tugging the sensitive flesh until C.J. cried out - not from pain but incredible pleasure.

Despite the state of C.J.'s arousal, her orgasm still managed to catch her by surprise. She thrashed about in Shannon's lap as she rode the waves of pleasure. She soon sagged against Shannon's chest, her rapid breathing slowly returning to normal.

"Fuck," she muttered when she was finally able to speak. She pressed her face into his neck, kissing him there lazily.

Shannon laughed. He couldn't recall any moment where he'd actually heard C.J. cursing until now. She tended to speak properly just about all of the time, hardly even using slang for that matter. "You okay?" he asked, rubbing her bare shoulders.

C.J. nodded into Shannon's throat. "Yeah. It just caught me off guard is all." She lifted her head and kissed him slowly, aware the entire time of something very firm pressing between her legs.

As the kiss came to an end, Shannon stood up while holding onto C.J. She instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist before he could prompt her to do so. He carried her into his bedroom, where he set her gently on her feet. He knelt in front of her and went to work on her jeans, undoing the button and zipper before pulling them slowly over her hips. When he pushed them down to her feet, she placed her hands on his shoulders for balance as she stopped out of them. Next, he removed her white socks, before turning his attention to her last remaining article of clothing - lacy white low cut panties, the match to the bra she'd been wearing when she'd come here tonight.

Still on his knees, Shannon placed a kiss on C.J.'s belly while his hands moved to the elastic waistband of her panties and peeled them away.

C.J. trembled as she realized that she was now completely naked and as soon as Shannon pulled back, he'd get to see all of her. Would he notice her c-section scar? Would he care? She shivered as his tongue dipped into her naval.

Shannon thoroughly tongued the small depression, knowing it was an erogenous zone for some women. Well, it certainly seemed to work for C.J., who had taken to massaging his scalp with her fingers. When he finally drew back, his eyes instinctively lowered to the mound between her legs.

"Holy shit!" Shannon muttered. His hands moved to frame the triangle of her femininity.

"What?" C.J. asked, startled by his quiet outburst. Her hands, which had tightened in Shannon's hair, slowly relaxed their grip.

Shannon leaned forward and tested the smoothness of the skin of C.J.'s mound with his tongue. Wondrously smooth without a hint of stubble.

"Shave or wax?" he asked, tilting his head back to look up into her face.

C.J. thought it a strange topic, but then, considering the man and the current situation, maybe it wasn't so out there for a topic after all. "Wax. A special kind that's completely painless."

"You'll have to tell me more about it later," Shannon told her. He put his hands on her hips and used his grip to direct her to sit on the bed. She leaned back on her elbows and watched as Shannon spread her knees and moved between them. His hands spread her nether lips and his head dipped low. His tongue snaked out, tasting her first in one long, slow lick from bottom to top.

C.J. cried out sharply and arched her hips. Shannon smirked against her damp flesh as he flung a forearm across her belly to keep her still before continuing his erotic assault on the core of her sexuality. As he had in his imagination, Shannon traced letters of the alphabet over her swollen clit. He spelled out words that formed short sentences.

_'You're beautiful.'_

_'I want to fuck you.'_

_'I think I'm falling in love with you.'_

C.J.'s hands clenched tightly in the comforter as she writhed under Shannon's expert touch. How was it possible that he was on the verge of making her cum a second time when he hadn't even taken any of his clothes off yet?

Shannon sensed C.J. was nearly there and stepped up his efforts. He slid two fingers into her, pumping them in and out, as he drew her clit into his mouth and sucked on it like a nipple.

_Damn, she's tight,_ Shannon thought as he thrust his fingers into her sheath. He wasn't being modest in saying - or thinking, in this case - that his penis was bigger than a lot of other guys. He didn't want to hurt C.J. so tried his best to prepare her. He slid a third finger in beside the first two and continued to pump them in and out, in and out.

When C.J. came a second time, her hands flew to the back of his head and grabbed onto his hair. Her thighs clenched tightly against the sides of his head, so lost in pleasure in that moment that she didn't even begin to consider that she might actually smother him in the throes of her orgasm.

As C.J. slowly came down off her orgasmic high and her breathing returned to normal, her limbs fell limply to the bed and she let out a long, contented sigh. And things weren't over yet, either.

Shannon watched C.J. for a while as her body moved through the different stages of orgasm, finding it amazing how uninhibited she was. They'd known each other for so short a time, yet it didn't seem to hinder them at all in however they chose to communicate. Be it speaking, body language, or - like now - lovemaking.

When she was able to do so, C.J. opened her eyes and looked t Shannon, who was slowly rubbing her thighs as he watched her face. As their eyes met, he stood up, not breaking their gaze until he slid his shirt over his head and threw it to the floor. Then, continuing to keep his eye contact with her, he bent to push his pants and boxers down at the same time. He stood up again as he kicked them off.

C.J. slowly took in Shannon's body from head to toe, stopping as she reached that part of him that was pointed straight at her. She giggled softly, then struggled briefly to push herself up so that she could sit.

Shannon merely raised an eyebrow as a giggle escaped C.J.'s lovely mouth. His ego wasn't hurt at all, but he was curious as to why seeing that part of him would make her laugh.

Once C.J. was sitting up, she reached for Shannon's hips and he obliged by moving forward to be within her reach. Her hands rubbed at his hips for a moment before sliding low across his belly. Once they met in the middle, one hand gripped his erection and pointed it higher, then the other hand moved to slide across the sacs that hung below his penis. "Shave or wax?" she asked, then giggled again.

"Shave," Shannon said. He ran his hands through her hair, massaging her scalp. "Waxing just seems unnecessarily painful and something that- FUCK!" He yelped as C.J.'s mouth suddenly enveloped the head of his penis. It was so warm and wet and... _Fuck! Damn, this feels good!_

Even with the head of Shannon's penis in her mouth, C.J. still managed to smile at his reaction. She began to bob her head back and forth, her lips gliding along his shaft. She couldn't take more than half his length in her mouth but made up for it by stroking the remaining length with her hand. Funny (funny strange, not funny ha ha), but she'd never had the urge to perform fellatio for the few other men she'd been with in her life. Yet with Shannon she'd eagerly initiated it. Not even so much as a hint or spoken word had come from Shannon to prompt her into doing it.

Shannon could only take so much of the delicious sensations caused by C.J.'s mouth before he had to pull back. He slid from C.J.'s mouth with a soft 'pop' and saw her look up at him curiously. He placed a hand on her cheek. "I don't wanna cum in your mouth. At least not right now." She nodded her understanding.

C.J. crawled backward on the bed and settled against the pillows, reaching out for Shannon as he got on the bed beside her. He didn't try to penetrate her right away, instead choosing to give himself some time to regain some self-control. He pulled C.J. close and began to kiss her, allowing his hand to roam over her body. She'd already cum twice so coaxing a third orgasm out of her might take some effort on his part, but it would be worth it to see that look of total ecstasy on her face.

"Shannon, please," C.J. was soon begging.

Unable to deny her, Shannon rose up on his knees and moved between her legs, legs which she eagerly spread for him. She propped herself up on her elbows and watched closely as he gripped his shaft and guided the tip closer to her opening. Shannon rubbed the head of his penis up and down her slit, coating it in the culmination of her two previous orgasm.

C.J. gasped and her head fell back as Shannon began to enter her. He slid in a few inches, withdrew, and slid forward again, a little deeper than before. He continued in this method until he was as deep inside her as he could possibly be.

Shannon pressed his head to C.J.'s shoulder as he struggled not to cum. "Fuck, Princess, you feed so good," he said, groaning into her skin. "Don't move... please..."

C.J. knew what he meant, she felt it too - though probably not as intensely as he did seeing as how she'd already found release twice. She lowered her back to the bed and placed her arms on his back, stroking him in a manner meant to comfort.

"Mmm," Shannon moaned softly. He couldn't hold back any longer. He felt like he was going to explode as it was, just from being inside her. Hooking one of C.J.'s legs over his arm and placing his other arm on the bed next to her shoulder to brace his weight, he slowly began to move.

"Damn, you feel so good, Princess," Shannon muttered, struggling to continue to hold back his orgasm.

"So do you," C.J. said breathlessly. "Oh!" she moaned, loving the intense sensation of Shannon filling her repeatedly, of being filled more fully than she had ever been until now. "Yes!" she whimpered. "Faster!" she panted.

The words she spoke and the noises she made slowly drove Shannon insane. He began to lose control over himself, thrusting with increased speed and force into her body. He was close, so close, but C.J. needed more time to catch up to him and that he couldn't give her. He was only human, after all.

"C.J... Princess... I can't... I'm sorry..." Shannon managed to get the words out even as he thrust frantically, his body desperate for release.

"It's okay, Shannon, let it go," C.J. told him as she tightened her grip on his shoulders and wrapped her legs tightly around his waist. "Let it go," she repeated soothingly.

Shannon came undone in that moment. With a hoarse shout he gave himself over, cumming with what felt like the force of a freight train. He arched his body and froze for a moment, head thrown back. Then the moment passed and Shannon began to move again - quick shallow thrusts that seemed to coincide with each jettison of sperm released deep inside C.J. He grunted and panted as he concentrated on the pleasure he was feeling inside her wet heat, sliding back and forth in her tight channel until his pleasure came to a warm, satisfying end.

Shannon's body wanted nothing more than to rest right then but his mind knew that C.J. was still aroused and aching for release. He managed to lever himself high enough off of her body that he could easily slip a hand between them and down to where they were still joined. His fingers alternated between circling her clit and rubbing up and down directly over it.

C.J. panted and moaned in turns as Shannon's talented fingers managed to make her feel as if her very nerves were on fire. She bucked her hips and occasionally arched her back as Shannon brought her closer and closer to relief. She felt Shannon's mouth close over one nipple and bite down upon it.

"Shit!" C.J. yelled as she exploded, the strength of her orgasm making her hips arched forcefully enough that she actually managed to lift Shannon a few inches before her body crashed back down on the bed.

"Fuck," she muttered, still feeling her body pulse and throb, especially between her legs. "Am I dead?"

Shannon laughed even as he slowly pulled out of C.J. He felt like he could go another round, maybe even two, but he knew there was no way that C.J. would be up to it. At least not right now, anyways. But after they'd rested, he was definitely making love to her again.

Even though she wanted nothing more than to just lay there and sleep, C.J. allowed Shannon to manipulate her body as he moved the blanket from beneath her. Once he'd managed that, he lay down next to her and covered them both with the blanket. She was half way asleep as Shannon pulled her close to him. She sighed happily as she lay her head over his heart, her arm and leg draping themselves over his body.

Shannon's hand lazily caressed her shoulder. "Can you stay the night?" he asked hopefully.

"Mmm hmm," C.J. murmured sleepily. "I don't have any appointments in the morning and," she paused to yawn, "any office work I have can wait until later."

"Good, because I'm giving you a repeat performance in the morning." He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face as he thought about that.

"Mmm, I look forward to..." C.J. drifted off to sleep mid-sentence. Shannon caressed her shoulder a few more times before letting his hand drop to the bed and joined her in sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello, all. I hope you enjoy this next chapter in the story. I'm sorry its taking so long to get these out. Home life really interferes a lot right now. **

**As always, reviews are appreciated. I may not have many yet, but its growing and I love hearing from readers.**

**Re-uploaded 08/26/08**

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An increasing need to use the bathroom was what woke C.J. the next morning. She heard Shannon's heart beating beneath her ear and smiled at the sound. She supposed she should be dismayed, at the very least, that she'd had sex with a man she'd known less than two weeks, but she couldn't find it within herself to be so. Shannon was amazing, an attentive lover that had been concerned with her safety and pleasure, more so that his own. She thought it might be nice to wake him with a long, slow blow job but first she really needed to pee. She tried to get up quietly to avoid waking Shannon but it wasn't quiet enough, which was proven when an arm snaked out and dragged her back to his side. She let out a yelp of surprise as she tumbled against him.

"Where you think you're going?" Shannon muttered sleepily, peering at C.J. with one partially open eye.

C.J. smiled at the enticing picture that Shannon made. Bare chest, ruffled hair, sleepy but sexy expression. Damn, but this man was hot!

"I have to use the bathroom," she told him. "And I'm a bit thirsty," she added as an afterthought, just realizing that her throat felt a little dry.

Shannon appeared to give the matter some thought. "You'll come right back?" he asked.

"Yes," she agreed, tempting him by stroking a hand across his chest. "I'm not finished thoroughly defiling you yet," she said jokingly. She was rewarded with a laugh as Shannon let his arm drop.

"Alright. Hurry back so we can get on with the 'defiling,'" he said, feeling his lust rise at the thought.

"I will," C.J. promised. She wanted to lean over and kiss him but had a feeling that she wouldn't be leaving this bed for some time to come if she did that.

C.J. sat on the edge of the bed as she scanned the floor for her clothes. "Where's my shirt? And my bra?"

"In the living room," Shannon said. He stretched out behind C.J. on the bed, then scratched his belly.

C.J. smiled as she remembered just why her shirt and bra were in the living room.

Shannon wanted to tell her to just go naked - why bother getting dressed when she was only going to lose her clothes when she came back? - but he knew she still had some modesty despite their 'activities' from the previous night - or earlier this morning, to be more accurate. "Just use my jersey," he suggested. "Less to take off when you come back." He smirked.

C.J. turned her head and caught Shannon's expression. She felt as if her whole body flushed with heat. "Good idea," she murmured and turned away to reach for the jersey.

The bottom fell to midway down her thighs while the openings for the neck and arms exposed a fair bit of her breasts, though thankfully not enough that her nipples would show. Well, at least enough of her was covered that she didn't feel very naked.

Shannon watched as C.J. walked out of the bedroom. Watching her wear his jersey was an arousing sight, especially with her looking slightly mussed form the previous night's passionate lovemaking.

A few minutes passed and Shannon was anticipating C.J.'s imminent return when a shrill scream followed by the sound of glass breaking broke the peaceful quiet of his morning. Shannon jumped out of bed and ran to the kitchen, where he instinctively guessed that the scream had come from. He stopped dead in the doorway at the sight that met his eyes.

C.J. stood over by the sink, her arms crossed over her breasts to hid them from view, while the remnants of one of his glasses and the water that had been in it were now scattered over the floor around her feet. Near the doorway, less than five feet from Shannon, stood none other than Jeff Hardy. Jeff, who had his hair up in braids with faded red dye randomly spread throughout, was apologizing profusely to C.J. for scaring her and trying to reassure her that he wasn't some maniac.

C.J. caught sight of Shannon and her eyes widened as she realized that he was standing there completely naked. She blushed and used one hand to shield her eyes, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like, "Oh my God!"

Jeff turned to face Shannon once he realized that the other man was standing there. "Shannon! Man, I am so sorry! I never woulda just walked right in if I knew you weren't alone."

"Jeff!" Shannon exclaimed, sounding surprised and a little shocked or perhaps scandalized. "Did you not see the extra car sitting in the driveway?"

"Shit," Jeff muttered. "I thought the neighbors were parking in your driveway again."

Neither man chose to acknowledge the fact that Shannon was standing there completely naked and not even attempting to cover up with anything, including his hands.

C.J. felt absolutely mortified. She'd overreacted when Jeff had suddenly appeared in the kitchen, talking as if he'd expected to find Shannon there, only to find Shannon's lover - C.J. herself - standing there in one of his shirts. Then, of course, Shannon had shown up without even bothering to take the time to pull so much as his boxers on. Well, there could be something flattering about that, considering that Shannon had shown up less than half a minute after she'd screamed.

C.J. wanted nothing more than to get out of the kitchen at that moment but she couldn't move. There were shards of glass everywhere. She was backed up against the counter so no matter where she stepped, despite the length of her stride, there simply wasn't anywhere in the immediate area where she could put her foot down and not be cut by glass shards.

"Can you sweep up the glass while I go get some clothes on?" Shannon asked Jeff.

Jeff nodded. "Sure, no problem," he agreed.

Shannon turned to see C.J. standing there still concealing her face, which he was sure was still flushed with embarrassment. "Princess, you going to be okay if I go?" he asked C.J. He knew she felt embarrassed over the current situation even though she wasn't really responsible for it at all, but if she was really uncomfortable with being left alone with Jeff then he'd stick around until she could walk out of the kitchen with him.

"No, I'll be fine," she managed to get out.

Shannon nodded even though C.J. couldn't see it, then gave a short nod to Jeff before he took off for his bedroom, making a quick detour through the living room to gather C.J.'s shirt and bra. He figured that she'd want to get dressed as soon as she could.

Shannon couldn't help feeling a twinge of disappointment that he wouldn't have a chance to make love with C.J. this morning, but he knew the mood was lost.

C.J. entered the room soon after Shannon had finished dressing. She moved straight to the bed, where Shannon had thoughtfully piled her clothes. Before she could reach it, however, Shannon caught her arm and swung her to face him. He had to use his other hand to tilt her face up so that her gaze would meet his.

"Hey, you alright?" he asked with a hint of concern in his voice.

Looking into Shannon's eyes, C.J. nodded. "Yes. I just feel a little embarrassed. I think I might have overreacted."

"I don't want you to worry about that," Shanon said firmly. The hand under C.J.'s chin moved to cup her cheek. "Besides, I'm sure Jeff feels bad enough for scaring you as it is. Just try to forget about it, alright?"

When C.J. nodded, Shannon kissed her. "Why don't you go have a shower?" he suggested. "Maybe it'll help you relax."

"Sounds like a good idea," she said in agreement. She rose up on tiptoe to kiss him briefly before turning away to gather her clothes and walk to the bathroom.

* * *

When C.J. rejoined Shannon, she found him sitting in the living room talking with Jeff. He broke off mid-sentence as she came into the room and turned to smile at her. She returned his smile, shyly tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

Shannon held out a hand for her as she came around the side of the couch and as she placed her hand in his, he used this physical connection to urge her to sit beside him.

Jeff watched the easy way that Shannon and C.J. interacted with each other. They'd first met less than two weeks ago and yet - looking at them from the chair across from the couch - Jeff thought that anyone else seeing them like this would assume that they'd known each other much longer than two weeks. They were just that natural with each other, even with C.J. avoiding his gaze from the likely embarrassment of him having seen her run around with only a top of Shannon's for cover. In one way he was envious - he and Beth had used to be that close but ever since the court case with Beth's half-sister four months ago, things between them had been slowly deteriorating. But at the same time Jeff was also happy for his friend. Shannon was a great guy who deserved to be with a wonderful woman who understood him and his crazy ways. He seemed to have found that woman in C.J.

C.J. hesitated. She would prefer to avoid Jeff for a while, at least until she'd gotten over the embarrassment of their initial meeting, but she sensed that her getting along with Shannon's friends was important to him. Her desire to please Shannon was stronger than her embarrassment so the choice then was clear. "Sure," she said, pleased to be rewarded with a smile that made her happy that she'd agreed.

* * *

Jeff drove his car and Shannon drove himself and C.J. in his car. They went to a near by diner that - considering the decor - looked like it had been open for fifty years with little to no change over the decades. Though C.J. had been in town for several months now, she hadn't been inside this particular structure yet.

Shannon and Jeff chose a booth in the back to afford the three of them some measure of privacy as they ate and conversed. Both men waited for C.J. to sit first before seating themselves - a gesture which wasn't lost on C.J. She was both amazed and extremely pleased that these men who took individualism to new heights still managed to incorporate old-style manners in how they treated women. Not to the point of oppression or anything like that, but respectful - opening doors, asking her opinion, remaining standing until she had taken a seat...

Jeff had an easy-going attitude that just suited his personality so well that C.J. couldn't help but relax around him and forget about the embarrassing way in which they'd met.

* * *

"So, C.J., have you met any of Shannon's other friends or family?" Jeff asked, curious as to who she'd been introduced to so far.

"No, you're actually the first," C.J. replied right before she dipped a fry in ketchup and ate it.

"Maybe you could hold a party, Shannon," Jeff suggested. "Invite a bunch of people over so they can meet C.J. and get to know her."

C.J. promptly choked on her fry and spent the next minute or so coughing while both men watched her with concern, Shannon patting her back to try to help her clear the food from her throat.

"If you didn't want a party, Princess, all you had to do was say so," Shannon said jokingly, stroking a hand across the top of C.J.'s back from shoulder to shoulder.

"It's not that," C.J. said seriously, still taking deep breaths. "I'm just..." She paused, trying to find the right words that would explain how she felt while not hurting Shannon's feelings. "I think I'd be too nervous, meeting a lot of people at the same time. I want to make a good impression on them."

Shannon smiled. Though he hadn't let on at first, he'd been a bit worried that her reaction had meant that she didn't want to meet the other people in his life. But it was perfectly understandable that she wouldn't want to meet too many of them at once, especially her first time.

"We'll keep it small, then," Shannon said, then nodded. He looked at Jeff.

"How about the core group? Maybe Andrew, too, if he's free on that day. And their ladies. I'll bring Beth."

Shannon nodded. "So ten people, us three included." He looked to C.J. for approval of the number, who gave it by nodding. "Wait..." Shannon said a moment later, turning back to Jeff. "Is Andrew dating anyone?"

Jeff scratched his head in thought. "I don't think he's mentioned anyone. Maybe you can just tell him to bring a date if he wants."

Now that the guest list had been worked out, the three of them sat there ironing out the details of the party for the next several minutes. Where to hold it? Shannon's home. C.J. was already pretty familiar with the place so it would afford her a measure of comfort being in familiar territory. Style of party? Shannon jokingly said surf 'n' turf, meaning swimming and a barbecue. What day to hold it? Several tentative dates were suggested, with the idea of checking with the invitees what day would be best for all. C.J. could be there any day that was chosen with enough advance warning - I mean, notice - to rearrange any appointments or tasks scheduled for that same day.

Once breakfast was over, Jeff drove off in his car saying something about a local appearance he had to make later that day and Shannon drove C.J. back to his place so that she could get her car and go back to the group home to get some work done. He would have loved to take her back to bed but he thought she deserved more than a fast hard fuck - at least until he learned whether or not she was into that sort of thing - so extracted a promise from her (right about the same time as he was trying to extract her tongue with his mouth) to return again later that evening.

* * *

Little more than a week later, C.J. stood in the kitchen in Shannon's home putting the finishing touches on a buffet-style lunch to go with the barbecue that Shannon would run later on. There was cheese and crackers, veggies and two kinds of dip (spinach and ranch), an assortment of rolled cold cuts, and a try of sliced fruits with a strawberry fruit dip. And then there was dessert - brownies, chocolate chip cookies and butter tarts.

Okay, so maybe it was a little elaborate - just a tiny bit, a smidgen, really - especially considering that she'd done everything herself, but she had been so worried about making a good impression on the people in Shannon's life, despite Shannon's constant reassurances that they would love her, that she'd wanted to put in some extra effort for this party today. Shannon had initially offered to go out and just purchase pre-made trays of food to go along with the barbecue, but he'd relented quickly and allowed C.J. to put forth the effort herself when she made assurances that she wanted to do it herself.

A car pulled into the driveway and a car door slammed after a brief moment.

Wondering if it was Shannon returning already, C.J. quickly rinsed and dried her hands and went to the front to see who it was.

* * *

Jeff drove his car into Shannon's driveway and parked behind C.J.'s car. Shannon's car was absent but Jeff didn't really notice at the moment. He looked over into the passenger seat where his girlfriend, Beth, should be sitting right now, but in her place was a bottle of Goose - a brand of liquor that was a favorite of the core group. There was also an overnight bag with a pair of swimming trunks, an extra set of clothes (just in case he became too drunk to drive home, which considering the way he felt was a very likely possibility), and a towel. Beth, who had originally agreed to some to the party had canceled just a few hours ago when she'd been called in to work a shift at one of her two jobs because another co-worker had called in sick. Jeff wasn't even sure which job it was, but from what he'd overheard of Beth's end of the conversation, she hadn't put much effort into trying to get out of it.

The matter had caused a small argument between them and Jeff, after grabbing his stuff and the booze, had left, slamming the door on the way out. He'd driven straight to Shannon's and had arrived earlier than intended. In face, he realized as he glanced at the time on the dash board, the party wasn't supposed to start for another hour. Oh well, might as well go inside. He grabbed his stuff, got out of the car and slammed the door. As he neared the front door, it opened to reveal C.J.

"Hey," she said with a smile aimed directly at him. "You're early."

When he just nodded, her smile dimmed as she looked him with some concern. She put a hand on his forearm as he reached her. "Come on in, you look like you could use someone to talk to. And maybe a little of this?" she asked as she took the bottle from him with her other hand.

Jeff allowed C.J. to take the bottle from his hands and followed her into the house. She went into the kitchen and over to the cupboard where Shannon kept his glasses. She spoke as she pulled two of them down. "So what's bothering you?" she asked, getting straight to the heart of the matter. She opened the bottle and - after checking the alcohol content - poured only a small amount in each glass. She screwed the cap back on the bottle then picked up both glasses and turned around. "Does it have anything to do with the fact that you're here alone?" C.J. offered one of the glasses to Jeff, which he took and downed the contents of in two gulps. "Well..." Jeff started, then didn't continue.

C.J. took a sip of the alcohol and made a face - it wasn't exactly the best tasting drink she had ever had. When she looked at Jeff, he was quietly staring into the empty glass before he moved around C.J. to set it on the counter.

"Jeff, if you're not comfortable talking to me, that's fine. We haven't known each other very long, after all. But if you do want to talk, I'm offering you open ears and a closed mouth." Jeff turned to look at her, his expression still slightly tense. "That means whatever's said between us stays between us. Not even Shanon will hear about it."

Jeff sighed and rubbed his forehead, the need to unburden himself great. Perhaps too great to ignore. "She took a shift at work - I don't even know which job, she's working two of them - when she's been saying up until today that she'd be coming. Ever since she..." Jeff paused. He was confiding in C.J., but he wasn't ready to let her know the full details of Beth's situation. That just felt too private to share yet. "Well, since she lost the money for her tuition, she's taken on two part-time jobs to pay for it. I keep offering to help her, I've got the money. But she's being so stubborn! She's wearing herself into the ground because she won't take my help. I just wish-!" Jeff stopped himself from finishing the sentence, which would have been about Beth's half-sister. If it hadn't been for that woman, he and Beth wouldn't be in this mess now. What he wouldn't give to be standing in front of that selfish woman for five minutes so that he could give her a piece of his mind!

C.J. took another tiny sip of her drink and made another face. "Here," she said, handing her glass to Jeff. "I appreciate the gesture, but that stuff's just nasty." She gave a small shudder, which in turn brought a ghost of a smile to Jeff's lips. She didn't know that he was thinking about Beth in that moment, finding humor in the fact that C.J.'s reaction to the Goose was very similar to that of Beth's.

"Do you still love her?" C.J. asked.

Jeff looked at C.J. in surprise, wondering why she'd asked that particular question. "Yeah, I do."

"And can you see yourself marrying her?"

Jeff wondered where this line of questioning was going but answered anyway, in his own way. "I'm not looking to get married for a couple more years at least, maybe more, but I've always seen myself marrying Beth when that day came."

C.J. nodded approvingly. "I won't lie to you, Jeff. It sounds like you've been through some difficult times lately and I don't think they're over yet. They might even get worse before they get better. But I think you really, truly love Beth and want to spend the rest of your life with her. She may have to realize on her own that she needs to accept help - trying to force her to see that is only going to push her away. Just let her know you love her and give her her space. And if you want to offer financial help again, just make it clear that you're making the offer out of love and concern for her health, not because you don't believe she can do it or that she can't be independent. Try to bring up a time in the past when you had trouble letting someone help you but were better off for having accepted that help. It would be even better if that time happened to include Beth herself. Above all, be persistent in letting her know that you'll love her no matter what happens and you'll always be there for her."

As C.J. finished speaking, Jeff looked at her with something akin to amazement. "That was... that sounds perfect!" Jeff said. His mind already forming ideas and scenarios, Jeff allowed excitement to build up within him. He kissed C.J.'s cheek and started to hurry out of the kitchen.

"Jeff!" C.J. called out. "Where are you going?" she asked with a bit of a laugh.

Jeff stopped int he doorway and turned back to face her. "I-"

"Beth's probably going to need some time, in any case, to calm down. Besides, you said yourself that you don't know which job she went to. Why don't you stay and try to enjoy the party for now? Besides, I could use another familiar face besides Shannon's at this thing," she added, allowing some of her nervousness to show through.

Jeff could sense that C.J. was more nervous than she let on. "You have no reason to worry, you know," he told her. "Everybody's going to love you. They practically know you already, with how much Shannon talks about you." He tried to smile in what he hoped was a reassuring manner.

"Really?" C.J. looked up at Jeff hopefully, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear out of habit.

"Really," Jeff replied seriously, nodding. "Honestly, he never shuts up about you. Gets kind of annoying after a while."

Confused as to what had just happened, C.J.'s expression went completely blank as her mind tried to figure it out.

Jeff started laughing at C.J.'s expression, or lack thereof, and she finally clued in. "That was mean!" she exclaimed, trying not to laugh. She punched Jeff's left shoulder, finally laughing as he feigned a hurt expression and clutched at his shoulder.

"You buggin' my girl, Hardy?"

Shannon walked into the kitchen, carrying a large case of beer. He'd arrived home only a moment ago but neither Jeff nor C.J. had notice as they'd been too busy talking with each other.

Jeff watched the way that C.J.'s eyes lit up at Shannon's presence. He felt a little envious because it had been so long since Beth had looked at him in the same way.

C.J. walked over to Shannon as he set the case on the floor by the wall, then slid her arms around his neck as he straighted, facing her.

"Me?!" Jeff said in mock-outrage. "Did you not see her hit me when you came in just now?" Jeff rubbed his right shoulder and moaned pathetically. C.J. decided to give in to the playfulness of the moment and moved her hands to cover Shannon's ears. "Hey, Jeff, it was your other shoulder," she said, laughing as she failed to keep a straight face.

Shannon laughed and lowered his head to kiss C.J. Nothing too passionate, of course, as Jeff was in the room with them. C.J. seemed more relaxed than she had been when he'd left to go to the liquor store, for which he was grateful. Perhaps it was the presence of one of Shannon's friends that she'd already met and won over that had helped to calm her nerves and seemed to restore her confidence, at least in part.

Shannon looked over at the kitchen counter and island, seeing all the food that had been laid out. "Wow, you really outdid yourself, baby."

C.J.'s gaze followed his. "Do you think it will be enough?" she asked, biting her lower lip unconsciously.

"It'll be fine," Shannon said, rubbing his thumb over her mouth to distract her from biting her lip. The party hadn't started yet and he was already looking forward to it being over, if only to stop C.J. from obsessing over it so much. He ran his hands across C.J.'s lower back, trying not to smile as she jumped and slapped his shoulder.

"Shannon!" C.J. scolded, though she secretly appreciated that he was still trying to distract her from worrying.

"Why don't you finish up here and then go get ready?" Shannon suggested. "I'm sure the others are going to start arriving soon. I'll go bring in the rest of the booze and do the same."

"I'll help," Jeff offered, following Shannon as he left the kitchen.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for such a long time in between chapters, everyone. I felt this one needed a little something extra and added on to the end of it. And while this story does/will contain some things that have actually happened in several of the wrestlers' lives, I'm deviating a little from their realities as it suits me, which is why Shannon is wrestling for TNA right now instead of the WWE. I figured it would give him a little more time to be at home, and thus more time to spend with C.J.**

**Re-uploaded 08/26/08**

* * *

The head count for the party ended up being eight instead of the originally estimated ten. Beth, of course, was absent and Andrew Wright, who produced the Hardys' popular internet show (also available on DVD), came alone. Matt Hardy brought Ashley Massaro, a WWE Diva he'd been dating for a while, and Shane Helms (who's first name was Gregory but he preferred to be addressed by his middle name, Shane brought a stunning red-haired beauty named Jamie Szantyr. Jamie wrestled in TNA - which was also the brand Shannon currently wrestled for - and her in-ring names included Velvet Sky and Talia Madison.

Despite coming in three separate cars, these five people seemed to have coordinated their arrival times because their vehicles all appeared within a few minutes of each other. They gathered out back with Jeff and waited for Shannon to produce the woman they'd all been brought here to meet.

C.J. had changed into a simple black two-piece bathing suit with a much more colorful wraparound skirt that was nearly ankle-length. She let her long blond hair hang loose and stood looking at her reflection in the large mirror on the wall in Shannon's bedroom. She was trying to keep her eyes off of Shannon's reflection as he stripped down and slipped on bright blue swimming trunks decorated with abstract designs in black and white. She didn't need the distraction of thinking about sex with him right now. She had to stay focused on what she was going to do when she got outside and met Shannon's friends. She really didn't want to risk screwing this up, the fear of doing just that had created a ball of tension which had currently settled itself in the pit of her stomach.

Sighing, C.J. turned to look at Shannon. "Do I have time to throw up?" she asked facetiously.

"Nope," Shannon replied cheerfully. He came to stand in front of C.J. and put his hands on her shoulders. "Now, for the last time," he said gently, giving her shoulders a squeeze, "they are going to love you..." Shannon paused, looking deeply into her eyes and appearing as if he was considering something important. "Because I already do."

C.J. looked up at Shannon in surprise, stunned into silence beyond the sole utterance of his first name.

"I know we've only been together for less than three weeks now but - and this is going to sound cliched - they've been the best weeks of my life. Hell, I think I was in love with you the first time you fell into my arms at the gym. I started to follow you after you walked away." He hadn't admitted that part to her until now.

C.J.'s hands came up to press against Shannon's bare chest - not to push him away, just to touch him. She was worried as she looked up at him and it showed in her eyes. "Shannon, I'm not sure if I'm ready to say it back yet." She didn't want to hurt him or have him push her away because she wasn't ready to verbally reciprocate her feelings, whatever they were exactly. "I've been burned by love in the past - or what I thought was love - and it's made me scared to trust in the emotion again."

Shannon placed his fingertips over her mouth. "It's okay," he said, smiling tenderly at her. "I didn't say it so that I could hear it back, I said it because I've known it for a few days and I just really wanted to share it with you. Besides," he smiled cockily, "I know you care for me."

"Oh?"she asked, arching one eyebrow. "How did you come to that conclusion?" she asked, her tone taking a playful turn. She was glad that Shannon was alright with what she'd said.

"Well, I could stand here and list all of the little things you've said or done that show me how you feel, but we have guests waiting for us. So I'll just skip to one of the biggest points." Shannon paused for dramatic effect. "It's the fact that you are so nervous about meeting some of my closest friends. If you didn't care about me, at least a little, you wouldn't care about what any of them think."

"How did you get to be so smart?" C.J. asked, smiling as she raised a hand to tenderly cup his cheek.

"I don't know, but aren't you lucky to have found a man with brains and beauty?" Shannon batted his eyelashes in a feminine manner.

"And modest. Don't forget modest."

"Of course not!" Shannon kissed C.J., pressing his lips softly to hers. "Now, ready to go wow them?"

"Mmm hmm," C.J. murmured. She stepped back from Shannon only to slide her hand into his. "Ready as I'll ever be."

* * *

Six pairs of eyes turned toward the sliding glass door as it opened. Shannon came out first, then stopped and half turned toward the doorway as he led C.J. out by the grip he had on her hand. As she came through the doorway, Shannon released her hand and placed his arm across her shoulders. It was a show of togetherness, one that gave C.J. some much needed confidence. Together, they walked over to where the others were waiting, some sitting in the various scattered poolside chaise lounge chairs.

"Everyone, thanks for coming," Shannon said, smiling the entire time. "This is C.J., the wonderful, amazing woman that's made me incredibly happy."

C.J. thought that Shannon's short speech was a little over the top in the way of an introduction, but instead of saying something against him for it, she just smiled and raised a hand in greeting. It was clear she was nervous - she didn't wave her hand, just held it up for a moment before lowering it.

Matt was the first one to rise and make his way over to where Shannon and C.J. stood. He smiled and held a hand out for her to shake. "So you're the little lady that's had Shannon tied all up in knots," he said as he pumped her hand gently. She was a little bit of a thing, he thought, and he didn't want to risk hurting her. Shannon might crush him if that were to happen. "He talks about you a lot."

"Jeff mentioned that," C.J. told Matt, returning his smile while wondering just how much Shannon did talk about her. She didn't mind - it was actually kind of flattering - but it was weird to meet people who'd already heard so much about her.

On by one, everyone came up to greet C.J. as Shannon remained by her side. Jeff held back until everyone else had been up to see her.

"See?" Jeff said quietly, just loud enough for C.J. and Shannon to hear. "No one here bites. Well, Shannon might, if you ask him nicely."

C.J. blushed but laughed anyway and Shannon chuckled, absently rubbing C.J.'s shoulder. She did feel more at ease now, and perhaps a little silly for having worried so much about getting the approval of these people. They all seemed so nice - some silly and a little crazy, too - but not one of them had looked at her with so much as a hint of disapproval for being with Shannon.

The barbecue wasn't going to be fired up until later, so at first everyone sat around drinking and getting to know C.J. better.

"So I hear you run a group home for pregnant teens," Jamie said at one point.

Not wanting to reveal that she'd been a pregnant teen herself - and trusting that Shannon hadn't let slip that personal piece of information in the apparently frequent times he'd brought her up to his friends - C.J. was careful in how she replied. "Yes. I actually co-run it with another woman, a person I've been friends with for years now. But the deed to the group home is in my name. I oversee the budget, the fund raising efforts, documenting girls that come into the home, sometimes act as their counsellor. C.J noticed the small smile that Jeff allowed to show. She wondered if he realized that some of the techniques she'd used on him were some of the very same ones she employed when talking to pregnant, often hormonal, teenage girls.

"Have any babies been born there yet?" Ashley asked. She loved babies, loved everything about them. They were so small and cute and smelled so good... usually.

"None yet," C.J. said with a negative shake of her head. "Although one girl is due to deliver in just under two weeks."

While C.J. was answering Ashley, Andrew caught Shannon's gaze over her head and an unspoken communication passed between them. Shannon gave Andrew a slight nod.

"So, C.J.," Andrew began, pulling her attention away from Ashley. "We've been talking - the guys and me," he clarified, indicating Shannon, Jeff and Matt (Shane wasn't a big enough part of the show usually to warrant a say in how it was run), "about the possibility of filming one of the Hardy Show episodes at your group home."

C.J. was surprised by Andrew's words and it showed. "Why?" she asked, her brows furrowing slightly as she tried to sort it out in her head.

"A couple of reasons, actually," Andrew answered. "The show is primarily about the guys - the core group - but it also involves friends and family, people they care about in their lives."

C.J. certainly got that part, especially considering Shannon's declaration of love just a short time ago.

"People are already curious as to who the mystery woman in Shannon's life is. I'm sure they'd love to know more about you."

"They do?" C.J. asked, directing her question to Shannon as she turned her head to look at him. The pair were sitting on a lounge chair together, Shannon sitting behind C.J. with her back against his chest. She and Shannon had only been dating for not quite three weeks now. Who could possibly be talking about them at this point?

"We've got a website for the show," Matt said. "And forums where the show itself can be discussed, as well as anything to do with our lives and careers. We keep the boards a little less cluttered by each of us - Jeff, Shannon, Shane and myself - having our own sub-board on the forum index. Anyway, some boards have popped up on Shannon's forum in the last couple of days. We're guessing they're originated by people who've seen you two when you've gone out on dates. The descriptions they've provided of you and the places you've been with Shannon match pretty well."

C.J. was suddenly curious to read what was being said about her. She'd have to get Shannon to show her how to access the forums that Matt was talking about some other time.

Andre took over the conversation again. "Filming one of the episodes around the group home would bring it publicity, reaching a lot more people than you would be able to reach on your own. We ship to places all over the U.S. and Canada, as well as other countries."

C.J. looked impressed. It certainly was a lot more people than she'd be able to reach on her own, she knew. Even if she travelled non-stop for months, perhaps years, looking for people to donate to the group home. "You've certainly got me interested. What would my participation involve?"

"Well, a look at the outside and parts of the inside of the building. A few questions - I'll be asking you those. Some interaction between you and Shannon. Some short interviews with some of the girls at the home."

C.J. had been listening and nodding occasionally until Andrew got to the part about interviewing some of the girls at the home. "No. That I can't allow," she said in a tone that would brook no argument, giving a single negative shake of her head for emphasis.

"Okay," Andrew said slowly. "Any particular reason why not?"

C.J. was more than willing to explain her reasons. "Every pregnant girl that has come to the home - and any that have gone to the one that gave me the inspiration to start this one - is different, but their reasons for coming to either place fit one of two main profiles, almost without fail. One - they were raped and couldn't get an abortion, either because they couldn't afford one or didn't realize they were pregnant until it was too late to get one. Two - they willingly had sex and birth control either wasn't used or malfunctioned. If girls don't run away from the situation they've found themselves in, then they've been sent here by their families. Neither case is ideal for any of those girls to publicize their stay there."

Andrew nodded in agreement - in the impromptu brainstorming sessions they'd had over this possible episode, this particular point hadn't occurred to any of them. "Alright, fair enough. We'll leave them out of it, then. As long as you don't mind briefly explaining that none of them are being recorded for their own safety?"

"Sure, C.J. agreed easily. It was a fair enough request, especially considering what this kind of coverage could do for the group home. "I'll give you my cell number and the number of the group home before you leave. That way we can work out a day and time to do this."

Andrew nodded in agreement and the conversation once again took a different turn.

* * *

Shannon watched C.J. from across the pool, seeing her relax with the other two women in the hot tub as he manned the barbecue. She seemed to be having a good time now that she'd gotten to know the other people here a little. He glanced down at the grill and flipped a few burgers before returning his attention to the hot tub.

"You picked a good one."

Shannon looked over to where Matt was approaching him, carrying a bottle of beer in one hand. "You mean C.J.?" he asked.

Matt nodded.

"I didn't actually pick her," he said with a bit of a laugh. "More like heaven dropped an angel into my arms. I was just smart enough to hold onto her."

Matt smiled. "Didn't know you had it in you to be poetic like that."

Shannon shrugged. "She brings out the best in me, I guess. I've never felt this way about anyone. Its hard to describe..." He shook his head after a moment and shrugged again. "I feel like I'm... like I'm complete. That's about the closest I can come, I think."

"Sounds serious. You think she could be the one?" Matt asked, taking a swig of his beer.

Shannon found his gaze wandering to C.J. again. At the same time, she happened to glance his way, noticed him looking at her, then gave him a smile and a short wave before returning her attention to the other two women. Shannon's smile grew a little wider as his eyes roamed over the parts of C.J. that were visible above the rim of the hot tub. "She really could be," Shannon said, finally answering Matt's question. "With the way she makes me feel, I'd be surprised if she wasn't."

"That's great, man," Matt said, patting Shannon on the back. "I'm happy for you."

"Thanks, Matt." He glanced at Matt before he spoke again. "What about you and Ashley? How's that going?"

Matt gave a half-hearted shrug. "I think we're really just having fun for now. I'm not in love with Ashley, but I love her like a friend. I think we'll probably remain friends when we aren't seeing each other anymore."

Shannon didn't say anything, not that words were really needed right then. It was great that Matt was still taking chances to date women after being burned by Amy, but all of his relationships since that woman had been about 'having fun.'

Though he was closer to Ashley than the other girls he'd been with since he'd split with Amy, he didn't seem to be looking to make a real commitment to any of them. Such a shame, really. Matt deserved someone he could really love, that he could settle down with and have those kids he wanted.

Matt would make a wonderful father, it showed in the way he was with a lot of his fans. And even him and Jeff, for that matter. Matt was a natural-born leader, great with ideas and plans and giving advice. Shannon could see him with a large brood of little ones running around his home. If only he could find the right woman to fill the space in his heart that Amy had so carelessly ripped open with her affair. The image of Meredith flashed into Shannon's head for a moment and he wondered if his intuition might be telling him something.

He mentally shrugged. Whether it would turn out to be a good idea or not would be something he would have to wait to find out, he wasn't going to do any matchmaking while Matt was still with Ashley. Just on the off chance that Matt was deluding himself about falling in love with Ashley.

That was the way it worked sometimes, though. Someone who was good at leading and giving advice was usually not good at being on the receiving end of advice, or following their own for that matter.

"Better watch out, man. I think Ashley's trying to talk your girl into dying her hair."

Matt's voice pulled Shannon out of his inner thoughts and he looked across the pool to the hot tub. Sure enough, Ashley had moved closer to C.J. and was touching her hair while speaking directly to her.

Shannon couldn't catch what she was saying exactly, but a few words he thought he could make out - purple, just a bit, not permanent.

Shannon's gaze became intent, wondering if C.J. was going to allow Ashley to give her a make-over. He thought that she was perfect the way she was. Given the chance, he wouldn't change a thing about her appearance.

But it seemed that he didn't have anything to worry about because apparently C.J. was thinking along similar lines. A moment later she was shaking her head negatively, smiling at Ashley as she refused the offer. Ashley returned the smile with one of her own and a small shrug. She thought that C.J. would look good with some colored streaks in her hair, but she wasn't going to push it if C.J. wasn't interested.

* * *

**A/N: I was having trouble figuring on where to end this chapter with the additional material I typed in. So rather than keep people waiting, I'm going to post this as is and hope everyone finds it alright as it is. Then I'll get to work on typing up the next chapter.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Warning!! Graphic sexual content ahead. But for those of you that aren't into that sort of thing, please stay tuned for the end of the chapter. This one's not all about the sex.**

**Re-uploaded 08/26/08**

* * *

The party went on for several hours. It didn't really have a set ending time and everyone was enjoying themselves. If anyone had harbored any doubts about C.J. at the beginning of the party, those doubts were soon laid to rest just by watching her and Shannon together. Despite their various differences, they just acted so natural together that it was as if they'd always been meant to find each other and fate had finally brought them together.

People started leaving as it grew dark - despite Shannon's offer to let any of them stay over, non of them wanted to intrude on his and C.J.'s privacy - Jeff remaining behind until last.

Jeff pulled C.J. into a hug and kissed her cheek - all within Shannon's view. "See what we've been saying?" he asked her, indicating Shannon and himself. "Everyone loved you."

C.J. nodded. "Yes, I have to admit that you guys were both right." She mock-pouted, breaking into a smile as Jeff laughed at her expression. She had to admit, if only to herself, that while Shannon and his friends were quite unusual, they were also a wonderful, close group and easy to get along with.

"Well take care, alright?" C.J. said to Jeff. "Drive home safely." She also wanted to tell him to let Beth know she was sorry to have missed the opportunity to meet her but she wasn't sure if it would be the smartest thing to do to bring the other woman up right now. Besides, if Jeff said that to his girlfriend, she might take it the wrong way and spark another argument with Jeff.

"I will," Jeff assured her. He backed away, bent to pick up his bag, and faced Shannon. "Take care of her, man. This one's a keeper."

C.J. blushed with pleasure at Jeff's words. She certainly wouldn't mind being 'kept' by Shannon.

"Oh trust me," Shannon said to Jeff as he walked up to C.J. and embraced her from behind. "You can count on it."

"I'll see you guys later, then," Jeff said, smiling at the two of them. He turned and walked out of the house, leaving C.J. and Shannon finally alone.

Shannon's arms squeezed a little tighter around C.J. and she leaned back into him, sighing contentedly as Shannon lowered his head and nuzzled the skin of her neck. "So good day, then?" he asked. He lowered a hand to her belly and rubbed it through the t-shirt she'd recently donned.

"Mmm hmm," she murmured in agreement, her eyes closing as her body focused on what his hands were doing to her. "Though right now feels pretty damn good, too."

Shannon laughed softly. He found it amusing that C.J., who spoke so properly most of the time, so easily turned to cursing - whether soft or harsh - when she became aroused.

C.J. turned in Shannon's arms and pulled his head down, her lips claiming his in a passionate kiss. Not that she needed to use much force - Shannon went all too willingly, sliding his tongue against hers as she opened her mouth against his lips. His hands slid down to cup her ass through her jeans, pulling her tightly up against his body. He wanted to make sure that she felt every inch of the rigid length that was pitching a tent behind his zipper. She whimpered with need in response and tugged on his bottom lip with her teeth.

Knowing from past experience that they were both minutes away from losing their clothes, Shannon suddenly bent and picked C.J. up in his arms and headed straight for their bedroom. A smile lit Shannon's face as he realized that he'd thought of his bedroom as their. And why not? C.J. was over here every night he was home, sleeping over after sharing a passionate lovemaking session. Some of her possessions had found their way into his home. Heck, he'd spotted a box of tampons under the bathroom sink this morning. It had actually made him smile to see it. Maybe he was going soft, but he guessed that love did that to a man. And it was worth it, too, if it meant being with C.J. Anyway, he was still hard where it counted. And, no, he didn't mean his cock, even though hard was a good descriptive word for it right now.

As they entered the bedroom, Shannon set C.J. on her feet and watched her closely as she stepped back and began a seductive little striptease for him. Her shirt went first, slipped over her head and flung somewhere behind her. Her hands cupped her breasts, giving them a big squeeze before sliding them up her chest to the shoulder straps. She slid one strap down, then the other, and looked as if she would undo the front clasp of her bra only to change her mind and the direction of her hands as she slid the straps back up over her shoulders.

Shannon made a noise that was somewhere between a moan and a grunt. C.J. turned away to unzip her jeans and bend at the waist to slide them down her legs, giving Shannon the perfect view of her heart-shaped ass and the thin strip of her thong that divided the two round globes of flesh. Shannon whistled, causing her to smirk - an expression which Shannon missed due to her still being bent over.

C.J. stood and kicked the jeans away from her. They slid across the floor and stopped a few inches short of hitting the wall. She turned to face Shannon again.

Shannon's fingers itched to grab C.J. and rip the flimsy underwear from her but he managed to control himself... barely. C.J. just had him so worked up right now that he felt it would take very little for his control over himself to snap and ravish her.

C.J. finally began to remove her bra but continued to tease Shannon, keeping her nipples hidden from his view.

"I love watching you," Shannon said. He could see a spark of something - mischief? - in C.J.'s eyes but it passed quickly, leaving him wonder if he was right. Luckily, C.J. wouldn't keep him waiting long to find out.

"So you like to watch, huh?" C.J. asked cockily, walking up to Shannon and running her nails down his chest.

"Hell, yeah," Shannon replied without pause. His hands reached for her only to have her dance playfully out of his reach. He slowly began to realize where C.J. might be going with this.

"Nuh-uh," C.J. said, shaking her head. "If you want to watch, that's just what you'll do. No touching me or yourself unless I say so."

At some point in the future, when C.J. would reflect upon this night, she would blame her boldness upon the amount of alcohol still in her blood. The reality of the situation, though, was that the amount of alcohol she had consumed throughout the day had been enough to give her a nice buzz and left her feeling relaxed, but that was essentially it. Any impairment to her judgment had already faded by this point.

"Get undressed," she ordered.

Shannon was the one who was usually in control of their lovemaking but he found he didn't mind letting C.J. take control in this instance. In fact, he was quite interested in discovering where she planned to take them on this journey of pleasure. He stripped down quickly then stood waiting for her next command.

C.J. used both of her hands to remove her thong panties, then her bra, revealing her perky breasts to Shannon's avid gaze. She walked over to the foot of the bed and crawled up the center on her hands and knees until she had reached the pillows. She piled them up upon each other before she turned over and leaned back against the pile that she had created.

Shannon watched C.J.'s every move, his body practically screaming at him to take her, to mount her like a dog in heat as she crawled away from him, yet through sheer force of will he remained standing right where he was.

C.J. rested her back against the pile of pillows. She bent her knees and let them fall out to the sides, allowing Shannon an unimpeded view of her body. She looked at him and smirked again, seeing him already erect and throbbing. How much further could she push him, she wondered, before he lost control?

"Kneel on the end of the bed," she said in the same commanding tone. She waited for him to comply before she placed both of her hands on her belly and slid them down until they'd reached her mound. She watched Shannon as his gaze followed the downward trail. She spread the lips of her hairless mound and slid a finger between them. "Mmm," she moaned, arching her back a little. "I'm already so wet for you," she said, sighing softly as her finger began to circle her clit.

Shannon forgot himself and slid his hand across the cover toward her, touching her foot. C.J. reacted immediately - sitting up in a flash, she slapped his hand away. "Sorry," he said.

C.J. made a clicking noise with her tongue and got off the bed, heading straight for Shannon's closet. He watched her, wondering what she was doing while she rooted around in there looking for something. She quickly found it, turning back to him with the belt from his robe in her hands. She approached the bed, twirling one end of the belt with one hand. "Put your hands behind your back." He did so, crossing his wrists so that she could tie the belt around them.

Shannon felt C.J. tie and knot the belt securely in place, then deliver a stinging slap to his bare ass. He grunted, though not from any real sense of pain. He went through a lot worse just working a match, and an easy one at that.

C.J. put her lips next to Shannon's ear. "Too bad you couldn't keep your hands to yourself," she said, managing a regretful tone. What she really wanted to do was laugh at how silly she was being, but something inside of her wanted to continue with their little play-acting. Her hand found his straining cock and stroked it a few times before releasing him and leaving him wanting more.

"Fuck!" Shannon muttered, closing his eyes briefly. He opened them as he felt the bed dip from her weight.

C.J. got back on the bed and resumed her previous position. One hand squeezed a breast, pinching and twisting the nipple, while the other moved between her thighs, the fingers easily sliding into her slick folds. She worked on pleasuring herself, occasionally watching Shannon's face for his reactions... each and every one.

"Ohhh," C.J. moaned as she sunk two fingers into her tight hole. "Too bad you can't control yourself, Shannon, or I'd have let you touch me by now. I like feeling your cock inside me better than my fingers."

"Would it help if I said I'm sorry?" Shannon asked, feigning contriteness.

C.J. appeared to think it over, slowing her action with her fingers. "No," she said, shaking her head even as her hips thrust up against her hand. "No," she repeated. "You should have thought about that earlier. Now you have to be punished, you naughty boy." She pinched and twisted her nipple, moaning.

Shannon felt ready to explode. Watching C.J. pleasure herself was just so damn arousing that his penis was already at full attention. He tested his bonds, pulling at them with his wrists. He was sure that he could get out of them, given enough effort, but as much as he wanted to sink himself into the pleasurable heat of C.J.'s body, the equal want of not disappointing her managed to hold him back. He shifted his legs, trying to ease the throbbing ache of his erection, but it didn't help at all.

"Shit! Oooh! Fuck!" C.J. cried out a few minutes later. Her hips arched off the bed as her fingers pumped frantically inside her, trying to prolong her orgasm.

If possible, Shannon thought that C.J. was even more beautiful in that moment than he had ever seen her. Moaning, writhing, completely uninhibited, with her blond hair spread out on the pillows behind her. He was nearly mindless with his need to release, to cum. His hips bucked involuntarily and he tugged on his bonds again.

Once she'd come down from her orgasm, C.J. rolled to her knees and turned to face Shannon. She saw how tormented he was by what she had done and began to crawl to him, determined to finished what she'd started by taking control of the situation.

His breathing harsh, Shannon watched as C.J. settled herself on her knees in front of him. She placed her hands on his knees and slowly slid them up his well-muscled thighs. As they neared that part of him that so ached for her, for her touch, his hips thrust forward again of their own volition. C.J. slapped his thigh with one hand, reminding him that she was still in charge.

"Easy, big boy," she told him, her words carrying a double meaning. "I'll take care of you."

Shannon's head bent forward and he rested it on C.J.'s shoulder, taking comfort from the physical contact. As C.J. wrapped a hand around his engorged length, he grit his teeth together. It didn't stop the loud groan that escaped his mouth, however, nor any of the others that vibrated in the back of his throat as C.J. slid her hand up and down his shaft.

C.J. moved her free hand to the back of Shannon's head, cradling him against her shoulder. His desire-driven moans filled her ears as she stroked him. "Cum for me, Shannon," she urged him. She turned her head to lick the curve of his ear. "Cum, baby. I wanna see you shoot your load on my belly." She bit down on his ear - just enough to cause a bit of pain - and felt a dirty little erotic thrill as she spoke the words that she normally wouldn't say - outside of the bedroom, that is. Normally she would be too embarrassed to say words like that, but in the bedroom she loved to see the effect they had on Shannon. Just like now.

With a roar of fulfillment, he threw his head back even as his hips thrust him more firmly into C.J.'s sweet hand. Semen shot from the tip of his cock, splattering against the smooth skin of her belly. Her hand continued to stroke him until she'd milked him over every last drop of essence before her lips sought out his mouth and kissed him.

"You're so amazing," Shannon said against C.J.'s lips. "That was... Fuck, it was just mind-blowing."

"Maybe we can try it again some time?" C.J. asked, releasing his cock to rub his chest slowly.

"Definitely," Shannon replied before kissing C.J. again. When the kiss came to a slow end, C.J. slid off the bed and moved behind Shannon to untie his hands. The knot had tightened from his brief struggles to free himself so she spent a minute or two working at it before she managed to free him.

"Not often," C.J. said, referring to her take-charge way of lovemaking. "Just on the rare occasion." She dropped the belt on the floor and placed her hands on his shoulders.

Shannon turned around and sat, his legs hanging off the end of the bed. He reached for C.J. and pulled her to him, getting her to sit on his lap.

"I love the way you take control," C.J. admitted as one of Shannon's hands found its way to her belly, smearing his cum over her skin and trailing it down between her thighs. "It makes me feel so safe and cherished." She gasped with her next breath as Shannon slid two of his fingers deep inside her.

"Tell me more," Shannon urged, growling softly into her neck before nipping at her earlobe.

"Your arms are huge. They could probably crush a person's throat with very little effort, yet you're never too rough with me. It thrills me to know how strong you are, especially when you're holding me or making love to me, yet how gentle you can be."

"I'd die before I ever hurt you," Shannon readily admitted. His eyes locked on hers in an intense gaze. She knew he meant every word and she felt herself fall a little more in love with him than she already was. She still wasn't ready to admit it out loud just yet, though. She was worried that saying the words might be followed by some tragedy. Until she got over that fear, that something bad would happen, she wouldn't be able to speak to Shannon of how she felt about him.

"Make love to me?" C.J. begged, her inner muscles squeezing Shannon's fingers as she squirmed in his lap.

"You didn't even have to ask," Shannon said as he looked at her face lovingly. He withdrew his fingers so that he could pick her up with both his hands. He carried her around the side of the bed, kneeling on it as he carefully laid her in the middle on top of the blanket. C.J. reached up for him and pulled him down on top of her, loving the feeling of his weight on her even though he braced most of his weight on his forearms which rested on the bed by her shoulders.

Shannon settled his hips between C.J.'s thighs and after raising his upper body off of her, hooked her legs over his arms. C.J. propped herself up on one elbow and reached between her legs to help guide Shannon inside her. Once the tip of his penis had entered her, she moved her hand away and kept herself propped up on her elbows to watch as Shannon slid forward into her.

In one slow, smooth thrust Shannon sank himself deeply into C.J.'s tight, wet heat. He pulled out until just the tip of himself remained inside, then thrust forward, starting to create an easy pace that would soon drive C.J. into a frenzy of desire. She was unable to do much about her situation, her movements limited from the position that Shannon had her in. He had almost complete control over her body and used that power to both bring her pleasure and draw it out until she was cursing up a storm and demanding that he fuck her.

But Shannon was determined to worship her body in his own time and continued with the pace he had set for himself. He leaned over her body further, his hands he placed palm flat on the bed by her hips with her legs still hooked over his arms, further limiting her movements. He grunted as C.J.'s hands flew to his shoulders and gripped tightly, her nails sinking into his skin. He looked down at her face, amazed that her expression of pleasure was so intense that it resembled pain. He dipped his head lower, closer to hers. He licked the curve of her ear, partially to get her attention.

"I love you," he said in a near-whisper.

"SHANNON! OH GOD!" C.J. screamed as her orgasm overtook her. Shannon's thrusts suddenly sped, helping to carry her over the edge into pleasure, soon shouting her name as he exploded, spurting his essence deep in her core.

* * *

As Jeff arrived home after leaving C.J. and Shannon's party, he saw the truck that Beth had driven to work earlier sitting in the driveway near the house. Both nervous and excited to see her, he made his way to the house at a normal pace. As he opened the door, his dog Jack (a Jack Russell terrier) came to greet him eagerly. Normally the dog and his antics would make Jeff smile but right now he was too consumed by the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach to do more than pet the dog for a moment before sending him on his way.

Jeff moved further into the house, quickly finding Beth sitting on the couch in the living room, her chin resting on her joined hands as she stared at a letter resting on the coffee table in front of her. He came in and sat down beside her, murmuring a greeting which she returned without looking at him.

"You okay?" he asked tentatively. After their argument earlier, he was worried about saying or doing anything to upset her. Beth reached for the letter and handed it to Jeff without saying a word.

Jeff read the letter and felt the bottom drop out of his stomach. He read it a second time to make sure that he hadn't misunderstood the words on the page. Basically, a spot had opened up in the dorms and Beth was the next person on the waiting list to take it if she wanted.

Unexpected pain made Jeff's chest tighten. He rubbed a hand over his chest above where his heart lay, trying to make the ache go away even though he suspected the action was a futile one. "You're... You wanna take this?" He couldn't bring himself to look directly at Beth. How could this be happening?

"Yes," was all Beth said, offering no explanation.

"But... why?" Jeff was having trouble wrapping his head around the fact that Beth wanted to move out, to leave him.

Beth cringed at the hurt in Jeff's tone. She'd dreaded telling him for this very reason, but she'd known it had to be done, just the same. "Several reasons, actually. It's close to school and my two jobs, for one thing. It's just... more practical right now."

"Practical," Jeff muttered. He could understand the need to be practical, but not when it came to matters of the heart. He quickly rubbed a hand across his eyes, feeling the rise of a few tears. He could barely breathe, barely think, barely function at that moment. Beyond the cold hard fact that Beth wanted to move out of their home, away from him, there was nothing else in his mind at that moment. They barely saw each other as it was - what with him on the road more than half the time and Beth's school and work. If she moved into this dorm, the time they spent together would go from precious little to practically nil.

"Jeff..." Beth placed a hand on his arm but withdrew it when he flinched from her touch. "Please..."

"Please what, Beth?" Jeff asked, anger rising within him and lacing his tone. He turned his head to look at her, unshed tears threatening to spill at any moment visible in his eyes. Only this time he did nothing to disguise the fact that he had tears to shed. "Please don't be angry? Please don't stand in your way? Please don't feel like your heart is about to shatter into a million pieces?"

Beth remained silent through the short tirade, her eyes dropping to stare at her lap. Jeff rose off the couch suddenly, the letter in his hand falling to the floor forgotten.

"I don't know what you want from me, Beth," he said, his voice rising steadily in volume. "I know I'm not the best boyfriend in the world. I forget dates and I'm away a lot. But I would do anything, give you anything-" He stopped abruptly, feeling overwhelmed, and turned away to stalk over to the window.

"Jeff, I still love-"

"Don't tell me you still love me and expect me to believe it!" he yelled as he turned to face her from where he stood. "Not right now," he added a little more quietly than before. "If you love me, then why are you breakin' my heart?" Jeff rubbed his hand over his heart again. Deep down he knew the words were unfair, that he was hurting her just for the sake of hurting her, but he couldn't stop them from flowing out of his mouth.

"You know what, Beth? Do whatever the hell you want. Because you obviously don't care that I love you enough to want to help you. Not because I'm the man and its expected of me, not because I hold any pity for you, but because I love you. But obviously that's not good enough." He stormed out of the room, then out of the house. As he reached his car, he vented all of the emotions that were suffocating him at that moment upon the vehicle. Cursing, he kicked the tire and punched the metal structure several times. The physical pain distracted him from his emotional pain, at least in part, and he stopped the assault on his car to get in it and speed off.

Inside the house, Beth sat sobbing into her hands. She hadn't expected Jeff to react so negatively to her telling him that she wanted to move out. She hadn't thought he'd jump for joy, but she'd hoped she'd at least have his support. She loved Jeff but she had to do what was best for herself. She needed to prove, if only to herself, that she could be independent, that she didn't need a man to support her (except perhaps in an emotional capacity).

Dammit! If it hadn't been for her older half-sister, Cynthia, none of this would have ever happened. If Cynthia hadn't come back into her life to rob her of her inheritance, she would have continued living in her father's home and using his money to pay for school, instead of being emotionally scarred by the experience to the point where she felt she had to prove she was capable of providing for herself. She didn't want to be a burden to anyone, least of all the man she loved.

Yes, if Cynthia had never returned, her life would still be on track. She and Jeff would have their separate homes, their relationship would still be okay, she wouldn't be working herself to death trying to pay for school... Those and a list of other problems could all be traced back to the moment that's she'd been served with those papers stating that Cynthia was contesting Roger Britt's will.

* * *

**I hope the first part of the chapter was believable enough. I've never written a sex scene before where the woman was dominant over the man or where a woman masturbated, so I'm not sure how it turned out.  
**

**For the other part of the chapter, I had to split Jeff and Beth up because I couldn't keep doing near-misses with her and C.J. for the next several weeks/months. It wouldn't have been very believable for them to keep missing each other because sooner or later Jeff would have managed to drag Beth to some function or other that C.J. was at. For how long these two will be apartI won't mention, but C.J. needs more time with Shannon before her only real secret comes out.  
**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: First of all, my apologies for keeping everyone waiting this long. It was unavoidable, though, as my life is currently in a bit of upheaval, partially due to the sudden move we've had to make (which we are still in the process of preparing for.**

**But on another note, I've discovered a wonderful beta in WandaXmaximoff (author ID: 747588). She's helped me fix up the first eight chapters of this story, which have been uploaded along with the ninth chapter, which I hope you enjoy enough to forgive me for the long wait I've put you through. There may be another week or two without an update, as we get moved and settled in our new home, but hopefully that will not be the case. **

* * *

_Several days later..._

C.J. was startled from a sound sleep by the ringing of her cell phone. It took her a moment to remember where she was – in her bedroom at the group home. Which meant that Shannon was away working for TNA at the moment.

Mentally cursing the person who was calling her at whatever ungodly hour this was, she reached for her cell phone, flipped it open, and answered the call.

"Yeah?" C.J. winced as loud music blasted her ear drum. _This had better be good!_

"Shee Jay?" a voice slurred asked.

"Yes, who is this?" C.J. sat up and turned on the bedside lamp, her eyes closing quickly as the sudden harsh brightness hurt them. Whoever this was – she couldn't recognize the voice over the loud music in the background – she had the feeling that she wasn't going to be getting back to sleep any time soon.

"S'Jeff."

"Jeff? Jeff Hardy?" C.J. frowned. _What the hell?_ From his slurred speech she guessed that he was drunk. _But why call me out of all the other people that he could have called?_

"Lissen, I need a ride, 'kay? The drink-maker person behin' tha bar took mah keeys."

Jeff must well and truly be drunk off his ass to be slurring his speech the way he was and the fact that he couldn't remember certain words, like 'bartender.' Some questions sprung to mind but there was one thing that C.J. needed to know before anything else.

"Jeff, where are you?"

Jeff's reply was a bunch of slurred, incoherent words that C.J. found impossible to understand, even in part. She sighed as she ran a hand through her slightly mussed hair.

"Ok, Jeff, are you listening?" He made a noise of assent. She spoke slowly and loud enough to make sure that he hear what she was about to say.

"I want you to give the phone to the guy standing behind the bar."

"But... is mah phone," Jeff protested.

C.J. rolled her eyes, wanting to groan in exasperation. It was times like this that made her glad that she wasn't a big drinker. She couldn't imagine phoning someone else the way Jeff was doing with her right now. It just wasn't her.

"Jeff, you aren't giving someone else your phone to keep, just to let them borrow it for a minute. I promise you that you'll get it back."

There was a brief pause in which C.J. assumed that Jeff's alcohol-soaked brain was trying to process her words.

"M'kay, s'long as you promiss." A loud belch punctuated his words, making C.J.'s nose wrinkle in annoyance.

Jeff lowered the phone as he shouted for someone to take it from him. A moment later an unfamiliar voice came on the line.

"Yeah, waddaya want?"

Not the best grammar or pronunciation, admittedly, but at least the guy wasn't drunk.

"Hello, I need directions to wherever you're at right now. The guy you got the phone from isn't really capable of giving me that information right now." She could hear a chuckle over the sound of the music.

"I can help yah there. Where you commin' from?" he asked.

"Whispering Pines," she told him.

The man gave C.J. directions on how to get to the bar and told her to grab Jeff's keys from the bar when she arrived before he flipped the phone shut, ending the call.

C.J. arrived at the bar half an hour later, after having dressed and brushed her hair with all possible haste, then drove as quickly as she dared without running the risk of being stopped by the local authorities.

As she walked into the -establishment, she immediately spotted Jeff by the bar. Or rather, on the bar. He was shouting something she couldn't make out over the music and other people shouting, but following his words he struck a pose and formed imaginary guns with both hands.

Never having watched Jeff wrestle before – C.J. stuck to watching TNA only because of Shannon – she didn't know that Jeff's actions were usually a precursor to a mid-air flip, though she had a feeling if she didn't reach him quickly, he might do something stupid.

C.J. began to push her way through the crowd of people, calling Jeff's name as she moved. The music was much louder in person than it was over the phone, so it came as no surprise when he didn't appear to hear her.

Jeff stumbled sideways as he was about to leap off the bar, his normal incredibly good coordination shot because of the alcohol flooding his system. He righted himself before he fell and struck his pose again, intending to make a second attempt, when C.J. managed to reach the bar. Her wading through the sea of people hadn't left her completely unscathed, as her ass had been slapped by at least two men and possibly one woman, and one man had pinched her. Normally she didn't like resorting to violence, but that last assault on her posterior had her swiftly turning around and punching the perpetrator square in the nose.

"Jeff!" C.J. yelled as she arrived at the bar. One of her hands moved to touch his leg closest to her. "Jeff, get down from there! Its time to get out of here!"

Jeff looked down at C.J., swaying dizzily. "C.J.?" he yelled, smiling goofily. "How'd you know where I was... am?"

"You just called me half an hour ago to come pick you up."

Damn, if he was this bad off, then there was no point in asking him why he'd called her instead of one of his friends. Or anything else she'd wanted to ask him, either. Well, Shannon, Shane and even Matt were travelling for their jobs right now, but surely they weren't the only people that Jeff could've called.

"Oh... Well, thanks for comin'." Jeff giggled, C.J. could tell but was unable to hear it. "I said cum." He giggled again.

C.J. couldn't help a little laughter herself. Sure, it was a bit crude and not to her usual tastes, but for some reason his words and the situation finally struck her as humorous.

Aware that the bartender was shooting them not-so-amused looks, however, she tried again to urge Jeff down from the bar. "Come on, Jeff, it's late and I want to get out of here!"

Jeff sighed, or at least C.J. assumed that he did. He pouted as he bent down, trying to get off the bar as C.J. had told him to do. But with so much booze in him, his balance was naturally off. He started to lean a little too far forward and C.J., sensing what was about to happen, managed to side-step just in time as Jeff tumbled off the bar and landed in an ungainly heap.

C.J. wasn't heartless, just realistic. If she'd tried to catch Jeff, she most likely would have been crushed under his weight if he'd fallen on her.

She moved to help him stand, ignoring the laughter of the people around them. After several fumbled attempts, she managed to get Jeff to his feet. She left him standing there long enough to grab his keys from the bartender before she returned to Jeff's side and led him out of the bar. He leaned heavily on her, barely able to stay upright on his own now.

"Yurra nice gurl," Jeff slurred in C.J.'s ear once they'd gotten outside the noisy bar. "Shan- **hic** Shannon, he really, really, really, really likes you, I can tell."

"Well that's good, because I like him a lot, too."

They arrived at her car and C.J. propped Jeff up against the side while she retrieved her keys and opened the passenger door. She helped Jeff into the seat, buckled him in, and shut the door before going around to the driver's side to do the same for herself.

"So how do we get to your place, Jeff?" C.J. asked, turning her head to look at him.

Jeff hung his head, suddenly looking incredibly miserable. "Don' wanna go home," he muttered. He sniffed loudly, continuing to stare down at his lap. He tried to pick at a loose thread but that didn't seem to work so he tried scratching at it next.

C.J. wanted to sigh but held back from doing so. Shannon had mentioned to her that Jeff and Beth had basically broken up. The night following the party when he'd gone home, Beth had surprised him with the knowledge that she would be moving into a dorm room as soon as she could.

Tonight was the first time she'd seen or talked to Jeff since the party. He must really love Beth to be this broken up about it, to willingly drink himself into this state.

"What about Matt's place?" she asked him. He burped loudly and shook his head.

C.J. was tempted to pinch her nose shut. She was certain that she could smell whatever Jeff had most recently eaten, along with most of the booze that Jeff had consumed this night.

"Well, where do you want to go, then, Jeff? Because I can't take you back to the group home with me." Dealing with a drunk Jeff was proving to be frustrating but she was determined to keep her cool.

"Shannon?"

"Shannon's not home, Jeff, and I don't have a key to his place." She hoped that Jeff had another suggestion, one that she could actually use.

"I do," Jeff said, struggling to keep his eyes open. "On mah keyschain." He then frowned and started to look a little sad. "I did have a key. Tha' guy behin' tha bar that makes drinks took mah keys."

"It's okay, Jeff, I've got your keys," C.J. reassured him, pulling his keychain from the pocket of her jacket.

Jeff smiled drunkenly at C.J. "To Shannon's crib, Jeeves!" he exclaimed.

C.J. hoped that Shannon wouldn't be upset with her for bringing Jeff to his home while he was away. But she didn't really have much choice in the matter. Jeff was like a foot taller than her and outweighed her by at least fifty pounds, likely more. Add in drunk off his ass? Well, any help she gave him was going to require his cooperation and if it took going to Shannon's home to get it, then she'd have to do it that way. She'd just have to hope that Shannon wouldn't mind her invading his home while he was away. She didn't think he would really mind, but then she didn't want to make assumptions about his feelings on the matter at the same time.

When they arrived at Shannon's home a short time later, C.J. had a hard time getting Jeff out of the car. He was on the verge of passing out and quickly losing what little motor control he still possessed. He leaned heavily on her as they made their way to the front door and while she fumbled with his keys, trying to find the right one for Shannon's house. As they entered, Jeff managed to steer C.J. into the living room. He didn't care about a soft, comfy bed at the moment. All he wanted was to get to the nearest surface that would allow him to get horizontal without it being the floor.

So C.J. gave up quickly on trying to convince Jeff to walk a little further to reach the bedroom and let him flop down on the couch as they reached it.

Jeff lay half on, half off the couch, and face down. He was out cold in seconds. C.J. struggled to get his long legs on the couch, which wasn't easy consider that she had to coordinate that with partially turning him over so that the top half of him wouldn't slip off onto the floor. If that happened, he'd be spending the night there. Jeff was simply too much of a dead weight for her to be able to lift him, even a few inches off the floor.

But C.J. slowly managed by inches to get Jeff rolled onto his side and get his legs piled on the couch. She removed his shoes and tried not to blush as she unbuckled his belt and removed the items from his pockets to make him more comfortable. She left him laying there long enough to grab a pillow and blanket from the linen closet and returned, covering him with the blanket and tucking the pillow beneath his head.

C.J. stood to her full height and looked down at Jeff, who had just begun to snore. Now that he was sleeping, safe and sound, she was faced with the choice of leaving him here alone or staying with him to look after him in the morning, should he still need some help.

No one from the home knew she had taken off, so they were bound to wonder where she'd run off to in the middle of the night. She hadn't even thought to leave a note – in her bedroom or the office – but considering the lateness of the hour, she was lucky that she hadn't put her clothes on inside out or something.

Well, at least C.J. had remembered her cell phone, which had been fully charged just yesterday. So anyone could get hold of her if they needed to.

Deciding to stay, C.J. unclipped her phone from her belt and put it and her wallet on the coffee table next to Jeff's belongings. She was already here, might as well stay. Besides, Jeff might need someone to talk to in the morning.

Jeff woke to a pounding headache and blood-shot eyes the next morning. Though he opened his eyes to familiar surroundings – namely Shannon's living room – he was clueless as to just how he'd gotten there. Blinking repeatedly, his eyes slowly scanned the room – or what he could see from his position on the couch – soon coming to rest on C.J. curled up in the recliner, covered by a blanket with a pillow and one hand tucked beneath her head. He guessed he must have called her, though he couldn't remember for the life of him having done so. Why else would he be here with her of all people? Not that he had anything against her, of course, because she was wonderful for Shannon, who'd been much happier since he'd met her. But of all the people he could have called from his contact list while he was drunk out of his mind, he couldn't understand why he'd chosen her from dozens of other names. Though he liked C.J., he didn't really know her very well – all things considered – beyond what Shannon had spoken of her.

Feeling a pressing need to pee, along with a ball of nausea in the pit of his stomach, Jeff rose as quietly as he could manage and slowly made his way to the bathroom. Along the way, Jeff tried to remember what had happened last night but couldn't recall anything past a certain point, perhaps an hour or two after arriving at the bar.

Beth... She certainly hadn't wasted any time. He'd gone home yesterday evening to take care of the dogs and found her packing her things into an unfamiliar car, one that belonged to one of her college friends. He'd desperately wanted to talk to her, to beg her to stay – his pride was nothing compared to the thought of possibly losing Beth forever ­ but it wasn't to be. Beth had taken one look at him, his heartbroken expression, and hurried to get in the car while trying to brush away freshly fallen tears. The car had quickly driven off, leaving Jeff standing there stunned for some untold amount of time.

Jeff had forced himself to feed the dogs and give them water before he went into the house to cry and feel depressed, not to mention helpless to stop the downward spiral of his relationship. Could he have said or done anything differently to make her stay?

That and other questions weighed heavily upon his mind until he couldn't stand it and decided to try to drown them out with alcohol. Having very little of it in the house, he'd grabbed his keys and headed straight for a bar where he knew he'd be left alone to drink.

The sound of Jeff's cell phone ringing woke C.J. a few minutes after Jeff had gotten up. As she opened her eyes, she saw that Jeff was no longer laying on the couch. Probably gone to the bathroom, she assumed. She leaned forward, knocking the blanket to the floor, as she reached for Jeff's cell phone. The display flashed 'Matt Hardy' so she decided to answer the call.

"Hello, Matt."

There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment.

"Who is this?" Matt soon asked.

"C.J.," she replied, yawning into the phone. She ran her free hand through her hair, trying to straighten it.

"C.J.?" Matt said, sounding surprised. There was movement and whispering in the background on Matt's end. "What are you doing with Jeff's phone?"

"You want the abridged version?" When she received an affirmative reply from Jeff's older brother, she continued. "He called my cell from his last night. He was drunk so I went to pick him up."

"Thank you," Matt said, appreciating that Shannon's girlfriend had been there to help his brother when she didn't really have to. "Where are you guys?"

"At Shannon's. Jeff has a key and he was insistent about not going home."

"How's he doing?" Matt asked. He pretty much assumed that Jeff had a bitchin' hangover, but how was he doing mentally and emotionally?

"I'm not sure," C.J. replied honestly. "He was already up when his phone woke me. He's probably in the bathroom right about now." C.J. heard more whispering in the background which she still couldn't make out. She waited for Matt to speak rather than interrupt him.

"Listen," Matt said after a moment. "Shannon's here and he's bugging me to let him have the phone so I'm going to hand you over to him, alright?"

"Ok," C.J. said, surprised that Shannon was with Matt at the moment. They both worked with different companies so they didn't travel together. They must have been travelling close enough to each other that either Matt or Shannon had travelled a bit further to meet up with each other.

"Hey there, Princess. How you doing?"

C.J. felt warmed up by just listening to Shannon speak. "I'm fine. Its strange being at your place without you, though. You don't mind that I brought Jeff here, do you?"

"No way," Shannon was quick to tell her. "I want you to feel comfortable if I'm there or not. I'm gonna have a set of keys made up for you for my place when I get back."

C.J. flushed with pleasure. She knew that Shannon trusted her, but knowing and being given a symbol of that trust were two different matters entirely. "Shannon... Thank you."

They talked for a few more minutes before C.J. heard the flush of a toilet and the bathroom door opening. She let Shannon know, who then relayed the information to Matt. By the time that Jeff slowly walked back into the living room, shuffling his feet, Matt was back on the phone.

"It's Matt," she said, offering him the phone. He nodded, not meeting her eyes as he took the phone from her.

"Hey Matt..." He sank onto the couch, watching C.J. from the corner of one eye as she rose and left the room, heading for the kitchen. He was silently grateful to her for giving him some privacy and turned his attention to what Matt was saying.

"I feel like shit," he muttered in response to Matt's question regarding how he felt. "She moved out yesterday, Matt."

"I know, man. She called me, she's worried about you."

Jeff snorted in obvious disbelief. "Yeah, I'm sure she is," he said sarcastically.

Matt said nothing for a few moments. "Are you gonna be okay?" he asked eventually.

Jeff knew what Matt was really asking behind his brotherly words of concern. Matt was worried that his little brother was going to fall into drugs again with the stress of Beth moving out and the pressure of his job and everything else weighing on him at the moment. He had to admit, it was tempting to smoke a joint right about now. Just one, just to take the edge off and ease the pain pressing on his chest. "Yeah, man, I'll be fine. I just need to get used to living alone again." He left it at that, hoping that Matt wouldn't push him further.

"Okay," Matt said simply. He would worry about Jeff regardless of his answer and whether or not he believed him. It was just in Matt's nature to worry about Jeff.

Jeff heard Shannon's voice in the background though couldn't make out what he was saying.

"Ok, man, I'll tell him," Matt said, speaking to Shannon. Then he relayed to Jeff what Shannon had said, though more in his own words. "Shannon says that you better have behaved yourself last night and not tried anything inappropriate with his girl or he'll kick your ass from Whispering Pines to Cameron and back when he gets home."

Jeff chuckled. Although he was sure the words were said in jest, he was also sure there was a hint of seriousness to them. Shannon really cared for this girl, if he didn't love her already, and he didn't want to risk anything happening to drive them apart. Her having problems with one of Shannon's best friends – a guy that was like a brother to him, which Jeff could admit without being arrogant – would almost certainly drive a wedge between the couple.

"Tell Shannon I wouldn't dream of it. I'll treat her like she was my sister."

They each hung up not too much later and Jeff got up from the couch to walk into the kitchen. C.J.'s back was to him as he entered. He heard the scrape of a knife as it spread butter over dry toast. On the counter were two steaming cups of tea, neither of which held milk. He set himself at one of the barstools and waited. C.J. turned a second later and set a plate with two pieces of toast on it in front of Jeff.

"Thanks," he said quietly, reaching for the nearest cup of tea. He wasn't particularly fond of tea but he'd drink it just to be nice. C.J. had gone to the effort of making it, after all, and he figured he owed her after last night.

"It's no problem, really," C.J. replied easily.

Nothing further was said between them as C.J. turned away and went to make herself something to eat. Jeff watched her silently as she got an apple out of Shannon's fridge and went to the far counter to slice it up and put it on a plate. She added a large heaped tablespoon of peanut butter on the side of the plate, which had Jeff raising his eyebrows at the unusual combination. C.J. approached the counter he sat at and came around to sit two seats down from him so that she wouldn't be crowding him.

C.J. slowly ate a slice of her apple, dipping it in peanut butter each time before taking a bite. Once she'd finished the slice, she spoke. "Are you okay to drive?"

Jeff gave the question a bit of thought, considering how he felt at the moment. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

C.J. nodded. "Okay, I'll drive you to your car shortly then, before I go back to the group home."

Silence fell between them for several minutes until Jeff felt like he had to say something.

"That's it?"

C.J. looked at him feeling slightly confused and looking it. "What's it?"

"You're not gonna tell me what an idiot I am for drinking myself into blacking out or how stupid it was for me to drive to the bar in the first place knowing that I planned to get drunk?"

Understanding dawned in C.J.'s eyes. "Jeff, you're a grown man and I am not your mother. Your decisions are your own to make and its not my place to say whether they were right or not. I'll be here to listen if you ever want to unburden yourself, but I'm not going to tell you how to live your life."

"Oh... cool." Jeff was surprised. Anyone and everyone lately seemed to have an opinion on what he should or shouldn't do in his life, how he should deal with certain situations, how he should act. So it was something of a surprise running into a person who was determined to do just the opposite of anyone else he'd talked to recently. Sure, she'd given him advice a couple of days ago, but he'd practically asked for it. He'd been fresh off of a fight with Beth and actually wanting some guidance because he'd been feeling so hopeless in that moment. What he guessed that he was trying to say – or think, in this case, to himself – was that C.J. wasn't overbearing with her advice. She kept it to herself when others were usually eagerly handing it out. "So is that actually good?" Jeff asked, indicating what C.J. was eating with a small wave of his hand. He asked it partly because he was honestly curious and also to turn the conversation onto another topic.

"I think so," she said. She picked up a slice and dipped it into the peanut butter before offering it to him. "Want to try?"

Jeff took the slice of apple gingerly between two fingers. He sniffed it like an animal checking for danger then cautiously took a bite. He chewed slowly, testing the combination of flavours on his tongue, his expression betraying nothing of his inner thoughts. He swallowed and concentrated on the aftertaste for a moment.

"Wow, its actually kinda good," he said.

"Don't sound too surprised," C.J. said, speaking in a teasing manner as she smiled. "I'm sure you'll find that I have many great ideas."

They sat talking and joking for a while until it was time for C.J. to drive Jeff to get his car.


	10. Chapter 10

**My apologies again for the long delay between updates. After moving and the fights and getting settled in, along with no internet for a week, it was hard to get motivated right away to continue this story.**

**Thanks again to to WandaXMaximoff and her excellent beta-ing skills.**

* * *

A bouquet of red roses were arranged in a beautiful crystal vase. As the camera capturing this composition of flowers zoomed out, more of the room it was displayed in came into view. It could have been any dining room in any of a million different homes. Fans of the Hardys and their Internet-marketed show would recognize it as the one that belonged in Matt Hardy's home.

The man himself, Matt, came walking into the camera's view from the left side. He walked around the short end of the table and turned, stopping once he'd reached the middle where the vase sat. He leaned over slightly and plucked a single rose from the vase. He lifted the rose to his nose and smelled it, inhaling deeply of its own special perfume.

"Ah..." he sighed. He moved away from the table and tured toward the camera, giving a start of surprise as if he'd only just noticed it.

"Oh, hello there! I didn't see you come in." He glanced at the rose and took another sniff.

"You know..." He twirled the rose between his fingers. "the red rose has been a symbol of love for centuries. If a man loved a woman, he'd often give her a bouquet of roses to show her how he felt about her."

Behind Matt, Jeff slowly creeped into the room as Matt talked.

"This was especially popular with men who didn't know how to talk about their feelings or simply didn't want to," Matt continued.

Jeff paused, turned his head toward the camera – his face visible over Matt's shoulder – and placed a finger against his lips.

"But roses aren't only given by those who are verbally impaired where emotions are concerned. Some men liked to – and still do – give flowers as further evidence of the love they've spoken of to that special lady."

Jeff reached the table and grabbed a rose from the vase. He looked at it curiously for a moment before he started plucking the petals off one by one and eating them.

"But how does a man go about finding a special lady to share his heart with? There are many, many ways to go about this."

Jeff had finished eating the rose petals by this time and tossed the stem away carelessly. He turned and began to creep up on Matt.

"He could meet her in a library–"

Jeff pounced, clamping his hands on Matt's shoulders. Matt jumped, looking surprised.

"Or at church," Jeff said.

"At a bar," Matt said.

"He could place an ad in a newpaper."

"Or on the internet."

"Perhaps a video dating service."

"Even at a gym."

Jeff turned to face Matt. "A gym?" he asked in a clearly disbelieving tone.

Matt turned to face Jeff. "That's right, I said a gym."

"Man, who ever heard of a man and woman hokking up at a gym?" Jeff shook his head. "That's just crazy."

Matt rolled his eyes. "Are you forgetting our friend, Shanon Moore? The Prince of Punk. He managed to do just that."

Jeff's eyes widened comically in realization.

"Hey yeah! That's right. Looks like I stand corrected, then."

"Well, you can't be – and often aren't – right all the time. So don't worry about it." As Matt turned back to face the camera again, he missed the look of mock irritation that Jeff sent his way. "The story of Shannon's romance is a somewhat unusual tale. But then it wouldn't be a Prince of Punk story without an unusual twist. This episode is one I like to call, '_The Prince's Princess_.'

The screen faded to black before that very title appeared on the screen – white text on a black background. The title faded out after a few seconds, leaving a black screen.

The front of Shannon's house flashed on the screen. The footage was sped up in the next step as the man behind the camera – Andrew Wright – walked up the path to the front door, through it as it appeared to swing open on its own, then through part of the house into the living room where Shannon stood by himself. The speed then returned to normal playing time.

"A big hey to all my fans out there and fans of the Hardy Show," Shannon began. He gave a little wave to the camera.

"I come before you today to give all you ladies – and some of you men – some news that's gonna break your hearts. I am no longer on the market. Yep, that's right." Shannon nodded. "I've found a beautiful, amazing woman that makes me incredibly, astoundingly happy." He grinned, as if he didn't care how sappy he sounded.

The camera focused on Shannon's left hand as it reached out to the side. With barely a moment's pause, a feminine, well-manicured hand slid into his and his fingers curled around it. The camera then slowly zoomed out as Shannon gently tugged on the hand and pulled the body it was attached to closer to him.

C.J. looked up at Shannon and they shared a brief kiss. Both Shannon and C.J. turned their faces toward the camera, each wearing identical grins. Their height difference was emphasized as they stood next to each other; the top of her head didn't quite reach the lowest point of his shoulders. His arm curled around her shoulders as hers came to rest against his lower back.

"This is C.J. Coleridge, the woman that has captured my heart along with other parts of my anatomy."

C.J. blushed and elbowed Shannon gently in the stomach.

"So what does C.J. stand for?" Andrew asked from behind the caemra.

C.J. refocused her attention on the camera. "Cynthia Jasmine, but I prefer to be called C.J."

"Alright then, C.J.," Andrew said. "So tell me how you two met."

"She fell for me the second she saw me," Shannon said before C.J. could say anything.

C.J. rolled her eyes comically. "What Shanon conveniently forgets to mention is that it was his fault that I fell in the first place."

Both Shannon and Andrew chuckled.

"The first time we saw each other," C.J. said, "was at Vass Fitness."

The scene cut away to a view of the Vass Fitness Center, starting with the sign and pannin downward until the entire door came into view.

"She was on the inside, I was on the outside," Shannon's voice was heard to say while the camera was still focused on the door.

The scene cut back to Shannon and C.J. in his living room.

"We were both holding onto the door," C.J. continued from where Shannon left off. "Neither of us really paying attention. Shanon pulled the door open and I was so surprised by it that I'd forgotten to let go of the handle. I stumbled and fell right into Shannon."

"So what happened then?" Andrew asked.

"We probably didn't exchange ten words with each other before C.J. had to answer her phone."

"It was a friend of mine named Meredith. She and I run a group home for pregnant teens."

"And then C.J. rushed to her car and drove off. I didn't have a chance to get her name, number, nothing at all. So I went into the gym and grilled Marty – he's the owner - about her, but he wouldn't tell me anything about C.J. I shouldn't have expected differently – after all, he would never reveal any personal information about me, Matt, Jeff or Shane. He wouldn't do anything less for any of his other clients. It was still a disappointment, though." He turned to C.J., speaking directly to her instead of the camera. She looked up at him, listening.

"The first time we met, it was so brief. But it was just long enough for me to feel a connection with you. I hadn't felt something like that ever and I didn't want to lose it. I was prepared to camp out at the gym if I had to, just for a chance to see you again."

"I know what you mean," C.J. said honestly, forgetting for a moment that Andrew was watching and taping them from behind his camera. "I'd wanted to stay but I had obligations I had to take care of."

"So how did you two manage to find each other again?" Andrew asked, calling their attention back to him and the camera recording their every movement and word.

"Completely by accident," Shannon said as he and C.J. looked back toward the camera. "A few hours later and more than ten miles apart, we ran into each other again."

"Wow, that's quite a coincidence," Andrew commented.

Shannon nodded slowly.

"I was never a big believer in fate until I met Shannon," C.J. admitted. "The way we met, twice in one day and the distance in between both places..." C.J. shook her head, barely able to contemplate the odds that had been against them. "It's like we were meant to meet and fate just gave us a helping hand."

C.J. and Shannon shared another kiss and the scene went dark.

In the next scene, the outside of the grocery store where Shannon and C.J. had met for the second time was shown for several seconds before switching to Shannon and C.J. walking hand in hand toward the entrance. As they started to walk inside, Shannon of course holding the door open for C.J. to preceed him, the scene then cut to Andrew filming them as they walked down the isle where they'd met for the second time, still holding hands.

"This is it," Shannon said as he and C.J. came to a stop. They looked toward the pop section and the camera's view followed the path of their gaze.

"I came around the corner and found C.J. hanging off the top shelf trying to reach something I couldn't see right away."

"What did it turn out to be?" Andrew asked.

C.J. answered him. "A bottle of Pepsi Blue."

"Pepsi Blue?" Andrew asked, refocusing the camera back upon the couple.

"It's a flavor that Pepsi produced for less than a year before discontinuing it. Since then, finding bottles of the stuff has become increasingly difficult to do."

"So I take it that this is a particular favorite of yours?" Andrew asked.

"Mmm hmm," C.J. murmured, nodding as well. "I coudln't explain why I like it so much, espeically since it tastes more like blue Kool-Aid than anything remotely resembling Pepsi, but despite that it still managed to be quite... addicting."

Andrew could be heard laughing softly. "So what happened next?

"I thought she might fall," Shannon said, giving C.J.'s hand a squeeze as he spoke. "So I moved slowly down the isle until I reached her and then she just fell into my arms." He picked C.J. up to demonstrate how she had landed in his arms. Her arms went around his neck and the two looked into each other's eyes, smiling.

"You are so silly," C.J. said, trying not to laugh.

"Yeah," Shannon readily agreed, looking unrepentant. "But you know you wouldn't change a thing about me."

"True. Especially not your sense of modesty," C.J. replied, a spark of mischief in her expression.

Andrew laughed.

The screen went black for a few seconds, reopening with a view of the front of the group home, from far enough away that the entire building was in the frame.

"Loving Arms is the realization of a shared dream nearly a decade old," C.J. said from somewhere offscreen.

The camera turned to C.J. as she began to walk up the long driveway.

"Teen pregnancy is an unfortunate fact of life. If I had a dream bigger than opening this group home, it would be to make it and other places like it obsolete. While some girls are lucky to have the support of friends, family, or both, in many situations that's not the case. They become pregnant from one of several reasons and most of the ones that end up at Loving Arms and places like it do so because they either can't or feel like they don't have anyone to turn to for help. The other girls are sent away by their families to avoid the scandal of having their neighbors learn about the unwed pregnant teenager in their family." A burst of sarcasm tainted C.J.'s words as she spoke of scandal.

"Those girls almost without fail are expected to give up their babies for adoption and usually do – they fear being cut off from their families and doubt their abilities to raise their babies without having anyone from their families to help them that they often end up giving their babies up for adoption because of it."

She reached the building and walked up onto the porch before turning to face the camera.

"Getting this building was some good fortune for us. The former owners are friends of my Aunt and Uncle and they donated it for the tax write off. The money that would have gone into purchasing a building for the group home was spend on fixing this place up, modernizing some of the older fixtures and plumbing and bringing it up to code so that we could open on time as planned."

"So tell me a little more about this place," Andrew invited.

"We've got a capacity for about forty girls here, though we only have ten here presently – a few of them having shown up in the past couple of days. For reasons of safety, none of the girls curently living here are allowed to be filmed."

"That's understandable," Andrew agreed. "Can we get a tour of the inside?"

C.J. nodded and turned to open the door. Andrew followed her inside. The hallway was deserted.

"There's a basement, three floors including this one, and an attic. The attic itself isn't used for anything except storage. The top two floors are for the girls that come here to stay. Each floor has – besides the bedrooms – three bathrooms and a small lounge with a television, couches, and a table with chairs. There's an elevator that goes to every level in the building except for the attic – that was one thing that needed a complete overhaul to bring this place up to code so that we could open, which we managed to do as scheduled. It was a close call, though, and one we very nearly didn't pull off. We were lucky in that. There were more things wrong with this place than anticipated. The building inspector came close to closing us down due to code violations."

"Congrats on your victory," Andrew said.

C.J. thanked him warmly.

The camera followed C.J. around as she led a tour of the basement and main floors. There was also a brief look at the garden with C.J. explaining that she paid for the garden out of her own pocket rather than the budget for the group home.

Then the scene cut to C.J. sitting behind the desk in her office.

"Loving Arms has not been opened that long, but already I can't imagine doing anything else. Helping the girls already here and those yet to come... I feel I truly serve a purpose in life. I don't think I'll ever want to work anywhere else."

"I hear you take donations," Andrew inserted.

C.J. nodded. "Yes, we're privately owned and while we do qualify for – and collect - government funding, we also depend upon donations from businesses and private citizens. There are few ground rules for making a donation; the biggest one being that people applying to become adoptive parents – or are family members of said couple – cannot donate. This prevents people from trying to unfairly gain advantage in trying to get a baby from one of these girls. Anyone who has successfully adopted, however, and has had their profile removed from our registry, is eligible to donate to us if they wish once a year following the legalizing of the adoption of their child has passed."

C.J. went on to further explain how to go about donating to the home, where to send checks, how to address said cheques, and a reminder to include return addresses if anyone wished for a receipt of their donation for tax purposes.

"What would your involvement in this place become if you ever decided to settle down with someone and start raising a family of your own?"

C.J. laughed. "Very not subtle, Mr. Wright," she chided, smiling to show she wasn't offended. "Is this your way of asking what my intentions are toward your friend?"

Andrew replied first with a short burst of laughter, then with words. "I guess if you want to look at it that way, then I hope you'll make an honest man of him some day."

C.J. smiled for a moment before answering Andrew's question. "My own children would by my first priority, of course. But I'd like to think tht I could be a good mother and still be involved in this place to some extent. Hopefully I'll be able to find a right balance if I'm lucky enough to be blessed to have children with the wonderful and amazing man that Shannon is."

The screen faded to black, then Matt and Jeff reappeared, themselves and the scene the same as they had been at the start of the segment.

Matt spoke first. "So as you can see, you can meet and fall in love anywhere. Just because a certain location doesn't seem like an ideal place to meet someone, don't dismiss it without giving it a shot."

"That's right," Jeff added. "Keep your mind open to the possibilities and you just might get the best surprise of your life." After saying that, Jeff plucked the rose from Matt's hand and turned to walk away. He bit off a few petals and began to chew them as he walked off screen.

Matt, watching Jeff walk away, could only sigh and shake his head. The camera zoomed in on his face as he did this, then faded to black after a few seconds, ending the segment.


	11. Chapter 11

Shannon and C.J. were laying in bed that morning, cuddling with each other. Shannon was on his back, eyes closed and one arm behind his head while the other held C.J. against his side. C.J. had a leg draped over one of Shannon's, watching her hand as the fingertips traced the 2BME tattoo on his belly. They had been that way for a while now, neither in the mood to make the effort to move or even make love at this point – they were incredibly content to just lay there in silence, holding each other.

When C.J.'s hand abruptly stilled, Shannon cracked an eye open and looked down at her to see her looking up at him intently. Her eyelids flickered as she stared at him and he could tell she was in deep thought about something.

"Something wrong, Princess?" he asked. He pulled his hand from behind his head and tenderly brushed his knuckles across her forehead.

C.J.'s eyes closed briefly at the affectionate gesture. As they opened again, her gaze filled with purpose and something else that could be either worry or fear.

"I have to go out of town in two weeks. Well, not quite two weeks. Twelve days."

Shannon nodded and quietly waited. He couldn't see her being anxious about having to tell him that alone so he figured there must be something more to it.

"To visit my family," C.J. finally added, lowering her gaze nervously to Shannon's chest. Funny, her eyes were about level with the spot over his heart. "For Riley's birthday."

Shannon tucked a hand under C.J.'s chin and gently forced her to look up at him again. He'd never given her a reason to fear him and he wasn't going to let her get away with acting like she was afraid of him now, especially seeing as there was no need for it.

C.J. stared into the depths of Shannon's beautiful eyes, eyes which she fancied could see into her very soul. After a moment which felt like it could have lasted forever – but in reality only seconds or minutes – she found herself speaking again, unable to control the flow of words as they left her mouth.

"I'll be gone for several days and I was hoping that... I was wondering if..." She took a deep breath. "Would you like to go with me?"

_Well, that explains her nervousness_, Shannon thought, smiling at C.J. as he moved the hand from under her chin to cup the side of her face. "I'd love to go with you," he said honestly. Beyond the fact that Riley was C.J.'s biological son, adopted and raised by her aunt and uncle from her long-since deceased father's side of the family, he knew precious little about them. He found himself looking forward to meeting and learning more about these people that were so close to his woman's heart.

The smile C.J. gave Shannon was reward enough for him for giving his consent to meet her family. He enjoyed doing things – whether big or small – that put a smile on his lover's face.

As Shannon used his forearm to tug on C.J.'s back, she reacted instinctively by gripping his far shoulder to pull herself closer to his head. Shannon then cupped the back of C.J.'s head and pressed down gently to get her to lower her head, raising his head at the last moment to capture her lips with his own.

C.J. loved the feel of Shannon's lips against hers. Warm and just the right amount of moisture, it was like heaven.

Shannon tiled his head to one side, slanting his lips across C.J.'s. Her mouth parted of its own accord and a groan issued forth from the back of her throat as he – quick to take advantage of her action – slid his tongue into her mouth and began to explore every inch of the hot, wet space.

It was usually easy for the couple to lose themselves to their passions, yet when C.J. felt a hand cup and squeeze her breast, she reluctantly pulled back.

"I can't this morning," she said, looking at him regretfully. "One of the girls is meeting with a prospective adoptive couple at ten this morning and I have to be there early to be with her."

Shannon's smile was lazy as he gazed at her. If it was up to him, he'd probably keep C.J. naked and in his bed 24/7 (or the couch, the table, the washing machine during the spin cycle...), but he knew how important the group home was to her so he didn't really mind when matters concerning Loving Arms intruded on time they would normally spend together.

C.J. had taken to putting off most work concerning the group home for the days when Shannon traveled with TNA. Not only did it give them more time to spend together when he was home, but it also served the purpose of keeping her more occupied with he was away. It was mainly paperwork, things that it wouldn't hurt being put off for a few days. . Some tasks such as meetings couldn't always be scheduled for the days that he was away but he was okay with that. He was all for anything that made her happy, even if it meant taking her away from him for short periods of time. And even if he did mind the small intrusions the group home made into their lives, it wasn't like he had any right to complain about it. He was gone nearly three full days every week, traveling to wrestle for TNA and C.J. had never once complained about the amount of time his job took him away from her.

C.J. slowly pulled away from Shannon and got out of the bed. She went over to the dresser and pulled some fresh clothing out of the drawers that he had cleared out for her to use. With the amount of nights she spent at his home, it had only made sense for her to start keeping a fair amount of her clothing there rather than always having to pack an overnight bag. Besides, seeing her clothes in the drawers next to his and mingled together in the dirty laundry, it bespoke a permanence that both were comfortable with. Though neither had spoke of their relationship in that regard, it was an unspoken agreement that they both felt that they were headed towards marriage, but neither was in a rush to get there. Being with each other was what truly mattered to them.

Shannon watched from his place on the bed as C.J. pulled on underwear, pants and a shirt. He couldn't help thinking about how lucky he was to have found someone like C.J. She was so open, honest and caring. He'd known her for such a short amount of time and yet already he couldn't picture his life without her in it.

As C.J. finished dressing and turned back to Shannon, her thoughts ran similar to his. She smiled as she walked over to the bed and sat next to him. Her hand touched his chest, quickly being covered by one of his.

"Think you'll be busy long?" Shannon asked, caressing the delicate skin of her hand. "Some of the guys were talking about getting together for lunch. Ron's coming down to stay with Jeff for a bit while he looks for houses in the area."

Ron Killings was a fellow wrestler who'd been with several federations over the last decade: PWF, NWA, the WWE back when it was still the WWF, Xtreme Pro Wrestling, and TNA. He'd recently made a return to the WWE, where he'd had a chance to renew his friendship with Jeff. Being in TNA previously, he'd been able to work and travel with Shannon. But unfortunately his schedule hadn't really been conducive to maintaining contact with old friends.

"I should be finished by noon, one at the latest. But I'll call your cell if that changes." She turned her hand over, still under his, and gave it a squeeze before leaning over to kiss him good-bye. She deliberately kept the kiss simple – knowing from experience how quickly Shannon could tempt her back into bed with his tongue in her mouth – and broke it off after only a couple of seconds.

Shannon pouted as C.J. pulled away from him. "How about a proper kiss before you go?"

C.J. giggled softly, more from Shannon's cute pout than his words. "Forget it," she said, smiling to take any possible perceived sting from her words. "You and I both know what will happen if I give you a 'proper kiss'."

"Oh, and what might that be?" Shannon asked, feigning ignorance.

C.J. smiled a slightly devilish smile even as she pulled her hand from Shannon's and slid it down his hard, flat stomach. Her hand reached the edge of the blanket and delved beneath it.

Shannon cursed and arched his hips when he felt C.J.'s hand firmly wrap around his penis. His hands moved to grab her but he was too slow; she had quickly pulled away from him after that little maneuver and darted away from the bed, laughing at him and then his expression of disappointment.

"No fair," Shannon said, pushing his lower lip out in a mock pout.

C.J. smiled lovingly at Shannon. There were many different facets to his personality and she treasured all of them, especially his playfulness and tenderness.

"I promise I'll make it up to you later," she told him. "Your choice."

Shannon's pout instantly disappeared as a spark of interest lit his eyes. "Anything?"

C.J. nodded. She knew by giving her word that she was giving Shannon carte blanche in the bedroom (or any other room in the house, for that matter), but she trusted him to remember her personal thresholds in regards to sex and not to cross them. Test the boundaries from time to time, sure, but not go over them if she still remained uncertain about something.

Shannon rubbed his hands together as he contemplated the possibilities. He'd been wanting to try anal with C.J. - which in his experience could be quite pleasurable when done correctly – but she'd been reluctant and he hadn't wanted to press her. Perhaps tonight would be a good chance to bring it up again...

* * *

Donna and Robert Haskel were a model couple, C.J. realized as she conducted the interview between them and sixteen-year-old Kayla Robbins. Robert – or Bob, as he had asked to be called – worked as a foreman with a prominent construction company while Donna was an editor at a publishing company. While Donna worked full time at the office, she planned to take maternity leave once she had a child and then continue her editing job from home once her maternity leave ended.

They were a loving couple that had been married for six years. They were looking to adopt because Donna had been advised against getting pregnant by her doctor. She was diabetic and pregnancy would pose too much of a strain on her body. It was a sign of how much Bob loved Donna that he was sacrificing the possibility of siring his own offspring in order to safeguard his wife's health.

Of course, having profiled them herself several weeks ago, C.J. already knew this information.

The 'interview' was basically a meeting to allow biological mother and potential adoptive parents to get to know each other, giving the biological mother a chance to learn more about the two people that she had tentatively chosen to raise her baby.

"We live in a really good neighborhood," Donna was telling Kayla. "We're close with a lot of our neighbors, many of whom have one or more children. There's a playground within two blocks of where we live that's kept clean and well-maintained. Slides, swings, monkey bars, a fountain for playing in during the summer months."

Bob picked up where his wife left off. "There's a really good school within walking distance of our house. We have a Neighborhood Watch program set up – not that we've needed it so far, but its in place if trouble should ever arise in our area."

It was clear – to C.J. at least – that they were trying to impress Kayla with their lifestyle while trying not to be obvious about it at the same time. It was a difficult balance; one they shouldn't want to risk overdoing or under doing. Too much and Kayla might think they were more concerned with material things than loving her baby. Too little and she may not think they had planned well enough for this baby to be in their lives. Either of which could result in her looking elsewhere for a couple to adopt her unborn child.

That was something Kayla needed to decide on soon. She was nearly eight months along and had already met with two other couples that she had ended up deciding against after meeting them. It wasn't uncommon for girls to met with more than one prospective adoptive couple – giving up your child for someone else to raise was a big step, after all, and one not to be entered into lightly – but C.J. couldn't help thinking that in Kayla's case, while she was verbally committed to giving her child up for adoption, mentally she was uncertain about going through with it.

* * *

While C.J. was still dealing with the interview, a young girl barely in her teens was walking up the driveway towards the group home's front door. Under normal circumstances, she would be unremarkable-looking with her mousy brown hair and eyes of a similar shade. Her pale skin bespoke of little time spent in the sun and her painfully skinny frame (aside from a rounded belly) said that she didn't eat much – either by choice or because of a tyrant that had forced the pitifully small diet upon her. It is true that women in the beginning stages of pregnancy could lose weight – mainly attributed to severe morning sickness – but she was well past that stage now and should have long since begun replacing that important weight.

Fate, it seems, had not been kind to this poor soul.

She dared to hope that her fortune was about to change.

She struggled up the few steps to reach the porch, her head and shoulders bowed from the weight of the bags that contained her worldly possessions as well as the metaphorical weight of her situation.

Her steps slowed as she reached the door, suddenly indecisive about having come here. What if they made her go home? A thing too terrible to contemplate, in her opinion.

Standing in front of the door, she raised her hand to knock yet hesitated.

Oh, what if they did send her back home?

She'd die first, even if it meant taking her unborn child with her. She couldn't go back to what she'd left. Death was the kinder of the two options.

But what choice did she really have at this point but to take a chance and knock? She'd already taken the risk of coming here, spent much of what little money she'd had traveling. She was worn out, hungry, and stressed to her limits. What little change she had in her pockets would not have purchased a hotel room for one hour, let along an entire night.

She took a deep breath, screwed up her courage, and knocked.

* * *

_Tap! Tap! Tap!_

Meredith looked toward the front door as she heard the timid knocking. The shadow cast against the opaque glass in the door led her to believe that whoever stood on the other side was female.

Setting down the stack of books she'd been carrying on a hallway table, she quickly walked toward the front door and pulled it open.

A teary-eyed young girl stood before her, carrying a bulging brown and black backpack and an equally full pink and purple gym bag. She was skinny but her plain black t-shirt stretched tautly over her pregnant belly. Her age, Meredith didn't want to speculate upon.

Meredith's assessment took only a second, maybe two. Before she could speak, however, the young girl was already rushing to fill the brief silence.

"Umm... Can you help me? Please?"

Though it wasn't uncommon for girls to arrive at the group home in tears, for some reason Meredith found herself touched by this girl's trembling plea; more so than she usually would be. Perhaps it was the way she'd asked for help, almost as if fearing that it would be denied her.

"Of course, dear," she said, smiling kindly in an attempt to look reassuring. "Come on inside. Here, let me help you with your bag." She reached for the gym bag and the young girl – after a moment's hesitation – held it out with a trembling hand for Meredith to take.

Meredith shouldered the bag and held the door open wider to give the girl room to get by her.

"The lady that you need to speak with about staying here is having a meeting in her office at the moment, but I can feed you and give you something to drink while you're waiting," Meredith spoke as the girl moved passed her into the house.

The girl nodded, her gaze now cast toward the floor. She walked a few steps and paused, waiting for Meredith to close th door and join her before she continued. Together, they headed for the kitchen. Meredith glanced at C.J.'s office door as they walked by it, wondering what her friend would think of the young girl that had just dropped in on their doorstep.

It was about twenty minutes later that C.J. and Kayla were seeing the Haskels to the front door. Everyone was smiling, though each of those smiles differed in some way from the other three. Bob's was polite but reserved, Donna's was nervously hopeful, Kayla's was uncertain, and C.J.'s was calm while trying to appear reassuring.

The Haskels were hopeful that this would prove to be the chance they had been waiting for to become parents. Donna was a little more open with her emotions while her more reserved husband feared suffering through another disappointment; his wife's was well as – if not more than – his own. Kayla's inner most thoughts remained her own, but it was a safe bet to assume that some of those thoughts were about the Haskels themselves. C.J. hoped that a good match had been made between these three people but in the end only Kayla had the power to decide if that would be so.

"So what did you think about them?" C.J. asked of Kayla once the Haskels had departed in their car.

Kayla didn't answer for a long moment. "They seem like good people," she said in a solemn tone.

C.J. put her hands on Kayla's shoulders and looked directly into her eyes. "I know this is a difficult decision but you have to remember one thing above all – what is best for your child."

"You think I should give my baby to them?" Kayla asked, her voice beginning to tremble.

C.J. shook her head. "No, I didn't say that. What is best for your baby? That's something only you can decide. I can tell you what I think, I can even tell you about my own experiences with adoption, but that was what was best in my case. That doesn't mean it will be right for you, too. In the end, no matter what you choose, you will need courage to back it up."

Kayla thought about what C.J. had said – really thought about it – then nodded.

"I think I need some time to think about this," she said. C.J. gave her shoulders a reassuring squeeze and a smile before letting her go. Kayla smiled weakly in return before heading for the back door. She wanted to go sit outside for a while as she thought about her child's future.

C.J. waited until Kayla was out of sight before reaching into her pocket for her cell phone. The time on it said it was almost noon. Looks like she'd be able to make lunch with Shannon and the guys after all.

"C.J."

C.J. looked up at the sound of Meredith's voice calling her name. The other woman was standing just outside the doorway that led to the kitchen. C.J. looked at Meredith enquiringly, waiting.

"Meredith inclined her head toward the kitchen she'd just come from.

Curious, C.J. quickly approached her.

"New girl," Meredith said quietly.

C.J. nodded in understanding. "Okay." She looked at her phone for a second or two before passing it to her friend. "Can you call Shannon and make my excuses for me? He's on speed dial one."

"Sure," Meredith replied. She waited until C.J. had gone into the kitchen before she walked down the hallway from the direction that C.J. had come, deciding to make the call from the front porch.

Once outside, she flipped the phone open and hit the speed dial for Shannon. It rang three times before he picked up.

Meredith opened her mouth to speak but Shannon was already talking.

"Hey, sexy beautiful. I've been thinking about you all morning. How about I blow off the guys for lunch and take you back to bed so that you can blow-"

"Shannon!" Meredith nearly yelled, interrupting his indecent proposal. She heard him mutter something that sounded suspiciously like, "Oh shit!"

"Sorry, Merry. I was expecting C.J."

"I can tell," Meredith said with an amused laugh, trying to cover the embarrassment she still felt.

There was a brief moment of silence once she'd stopped laughing before Shannon spoke.

"Not to be rude but why are you calling me instead of my girl?"

"We had a girl drop in while she was conducting the interview so she asked me to call you while she talks to this girl. She's pretty distraught so its likely to take C.J. several hours to get this girl calmed down and settled in."

_If she can stay, that is..._

"Ok, thanks for letting me know. And sorry about earlier."

"That's alright," Meredith said, a slight smile gracing her lips. "Perfectly understandable how it could happen."

* * *

While Shannon and Meredith were finishing up their brief conversation, C.J. was bringing the young pregnant girl into her office. She shut the door and set the bag on the floor, next to the other one that belonged to the girl.

"Why don't you take a seat?" C.J. said as she turned to face the girl.

She nodded, not looking at C.J. as she did so, then moved to sit in one of the chairs that faced the desk. She bowed her head as C.J. moved around to the other side of the desk and sat in her comfy office chair. It rocked back and forth once each way as her weight settled into the cushioned seat. She turned the chair to the right as she opened the large bottom desk drawer. There were several hanging folders filled with various papers pertaining to the label on the tab.

Pulling a sheet from the folder marked, 'Admission Forms' she then closed the drawer and turned back to face the desolate girl sitting across from her. She laid the piece of paper on her desk and took a deep breath; holding it for a couple of seconds before letting it out.

"So what's your name?" she asked pleasantly. Sometimes an upbeat demeanor was enough to change the mood of a girl for the better.

"Tara," she mumbled.

When Tara failed to supply a last name after several moments, C.J. asked her for it.

"Do you really need it?" Tara asked, shooting a glance at C.J. even as her head remained lowered.

C.J. had an ability to read people. Well, everyone did, to some extent. But whereas some were only able to read the most obvious signs of strong emotions, others – like C.J. - had the ability to delve deeper and predict future actions based on certain present behaviors. She'd always had a natural ability to read people; a university course had only increased her amount of knowledge on the subject.

So it was with an almost complete certainty that C.J. knew Tara would provide a false last name if pressed for one now. Considering her age, it would most likely be of a familial relation – such as a mother or grandmother's maiden name – or a figure/hero that she identified with/worshiped in some way.

"Well, lets leave it for now and come back to it a little later," she said easily. Wherever the girl had come from, she didn't want to go back, or else why worry about someone – namely C.J. - learning her last name?

"Age?" C.J. asked.

"Fifteen."

Silence, followed by the clearing of C.J.'s throat.

"Fourteen."

Another silence, one C.J. didn't bother to fill with noise.

Tara sighed. "Thirteen."

At this point, C.J. should be showing Tara the door. Should, but didn't. Despite Loving Arms being a privately owned group home, there were still laws that had to be complied with while operating the home. One of those laws was that girls under the age of fifteen couldn't be admitted to the home. Exceptions could be made for younger girls who were signed into the home by a parent or guardian, but that clearly would not be the case with Tara.

Still, C.J. didn't have it in her to turn away a young girl in distress and especially one so obviously pregnant. She'd been there herself, knew first-hand the oppressive weight of hopelessness pushing down on her shoulders until all she wanted to do was fall to her knees and cry until there were no tears left to spill.

The next half hour or so was spent talking to Tara, asking questions and coaxing answers out of her. Tara seemed to grow more relaxed as the minutes passed. That is, until C.J. worked back around to asking her about her last name.

Tara instantly tensed up and started looking anywhere in the room but at C.J. herself.

"Is there a reason you don't want to tell me your last name, Tara?" C.J. asked, trying to sound as kind as possible without overdoing it.

Tara nodded, then sniffed loudly.

C.J. plucked a tissue from the box of Kleenex on her desk and handed it to Tara, who took it without looking at her.

C.J. gave Tara a moment to try to compose herself before she spoke again. "Tara, I want you to know that I'm going to be completely honest with you. It might be a little difficult for you to deal with at first but I want to help you. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Tara nodded, not daring to speak for fear of the emotion overruling her words.

"Now, legally we aren't supposed to accept girls under fifteen unless they are signed in by a parent or guardian."

Tara shot C.J. a horrified look, having felt that her one chance for safety had just been yanked out from under her.

C.J. quickly held a hand up, palm facing Tara. "Now just calm down. I said I wanted to help you – that hasn't changed." She waited for Tara to give a nod of acceptance before she continued.

"Like I said, legally we aren't supposed to accept girls under fifteen without a parent or guardian... Is there a chance that'"

The frantic negative shaking of Tara's head effectively cut C.J. off mid-sentence.

C.J. folded her hands – elbows placed on the desk top – and rested her chin on them as she considered the next angle from which to tackle this problem.

"So you're scared to contact your parents."

"My mom's dead," Tara said in a tiny voice. "For over a year now."

"And your father?" C.J. asked when no information was forthcoming about the man. "Does he know you're pregnant?"

"Yes," Tara said in a high-pitched squeak. Her hands came up to cover her eyes as fresh tears started to fall.

C.J. hesitated only a moment before getting up and going around the side of the desk to kneel by Tara's chair. She placed a hand on one of Tara's arms.

"I can't go home, please don't send me home," Tara said desperately, continuing to sob. It nearly broke C.J.'s heart to hear Tara's pleas. Much as she wanted to help, though, the extent she'd be able to do so depended on Tara.

"Tara, I need you to calm down, okay? We still have things we need to talk about and the sooner we do that, the sooner I can decide how much I'm going to be able to help you."

Tara managed to nod but it was still several minutes before she was calm enough to speak again. C.J. remained by her side.

"This place has been a dream of mine for many years," C.J. began. She knew she really needed to impress upon Tara just how dangerous this situation could be if she was allowed to stay here, just what was at stake if they were caught. "Ever since I was in a group home much like this one when I was sixteen."

That caught Tara's attention and she looked at C.J. in surprise. "You were pregnant at sixteen?"

"Yep," C.J. replied, nodding. "I ran away from home, not even knowing I was pregnant. It was a harsh couple of months, especially once I started getting sick and could barely keep food down. Then I was lucky enough to meet a woman who worked in the group home I ended up in. She seemed to know what was wrong with me and convinced me to go with her. It turned out to be the best thing to happen to me... Up until that point in my life, that is." C.J.'s smile was mysterious as she thought about Shannon. Meeting him was the best thing that had happened to her, she had no doubt.

"I met my best friend there, someone I'm still friends with today. My experiences there helped me to change my life around. I was reunited with my father's side of the family, whom I hadn't met since his death when I was only a year old. My Aunt and Uncle adopted my baby and helped put me through school. Then when I was finally ready, they got me in touch with the right people who could make my dream – this dream – come true. Don't get me wrong. I did have help along the way, but it took a lot of hard work on my part to get here."

Tara looked at C.J., appearing to consider her story. "Why are you telling me this?" she asked after a moment.

"Because you need to realize that this place is very important; not just for me but for every girl that's walked through the front door and every girl that will ever come here in the future. What I need from you is a very good reason for me to risk all that by letting you stay here."

C.J. stood and backed away, returning to her seat to give Tara some time to consider her answer.

It was clear to look at Tara that she was conflicted. Whatever had put Tara on the run in the first place was probably something she had never told anyone, which meant that it was most likely something pretty horrible that she'd suffered through, with no one else to turn to.

Eventually she looked up at C.J., reclining slightly in her chair, then dropped her gaze to her belly. Her hands came up to cup the rounded mound and the silence continued for another minute or two before she finally spoke. Her voice trembled, yet she somehow managed not to stutter.

"This baby... I don't know how to say it exactly..."

"Just say it straight out," C.J. advised. "That's probably the best way."

"I'm pregnant with my brother or sister."

Dead silence followed Tara's announcement.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I thank everyone that is continuing to read this story, and everyone that has reviewed or added me/this story to their favorites. And an extra big thanks to WandaXmaximoff, another great author and the woman that has been beta-ing my work on this story.**

**I really hate making any of you wait this long for another update, but even when there isn't much standing in the way of writing, delays can occur. Hopefully this extra long chapter will help make up for it.**

**And secondly, yes things did take something of a dark turn at the end of the previous chapter. I assure you all that there is a reason for that, which will be revealed in the coming chapters. Rest assured, however, that there are no plans for graphic depictions of molestation or rape. While I am obviously going to be touching on the subject, the more intimate details of the past encounters aren't necessary, I believe, to this story.**

* * *

Shannon walked out of his tattoo shop and headed for the restaurant next door. The place was called El Chapala; a place that served great Mexican food and for that reason was a favored place of the Core group to eat. Another reason that they liked to go there was that they received little attention from other people – the customers, that is, as the service there was always excellent.

While Shane had been unable to make it today – he was away attending the wedding of one of Jamie's friends – Matt and Jeff were there, along with Ron Killings. Shannon saw the three of them sitting in a booth not too far from the door as he walked in. Ron was sitting next to Matt – both of them facing the door – his dark chocolate-colored skin shining a little from the sunlight streaming in through the window. Both men gave Shannon a short nod and Jeff turned around as they made the gesture, giving Shannon a short wave with one hand.

As he arrived at the booth, Shannon slid in next to Jeff. "Guys," he said in a sort-of grunt, the way some men who were familiar with each other tended to say hello.

"Sorry I'm late," Shannon said as he opened a menu and began perusing it. "Just had to take care of something at the shop."

Any comment that one of the other three men might have made was interrupted by the arrival of the waitress – a woman in her mid-twenties with straight, black hair and a slightly tanned complexion. She gave the men appreciative glances as took their orders, smiling and making eye contact with each of them. Her name tag said 'Mariah' and she always enjoyed when good-looking men like these four would come in when she was working. She'd love to go out with any one of them but she'd be fired for so much as bringing up the possibility while she was on the job. If she'd ever managed to see any of them outside of this place, that would be another matter. So far though, she'd never had the pleasure.

As Mariah finished writing down what the guys wanted to eat and drink, she turned to bring the order to the kitchen, trying not to sigh as she went.

Ron looked diagonally across the table at Shannon. "So, man," he began, giving Shannon a short nod. "Where's this girl of yours I've been hearing so much about?"

Shannon just kinda tilted his head to the side as he answered. "She's at that group home she runs. Some new girl dropped in as she was getting ready to leave."

"She might still make it?" Ron asked, curious to meet the woman that had Shannon – his friend and former co-worker – wrapped around her finger. It was obvious that Shannon Brian Moore was a happy man, a man deeply in love with his girlfriend. Ron was very interested in meeting the person that had so quickly and firmly captured Shannon's heart.

Though anyone that had spoken of C.J. to him so far had only good things to say about her, he wanted to form his own opinions about this woman. He'd always claimed to have a good 'bullshit-o-meter' so if this C.J. chick was somehow managing to put one over on everyone, he'd figure that out after getting to know her a bit.

"You'll get to met her eventually," Shannon said. He leaned back in his chair and began cracking his knuckles. While he was physically here with the guys, his mind temporarily wandered to C.J. and what she was doing now. She had endless amounts of compassion for the girls in her care – it was part of why he loved her so much. He began to think of other reasons as to why his feelings for his Princess were so strong and deep.

Her height, her long, soft hair, those eyes that only had to look at him a certain way and he was instantly on his way to an erection that felt like it could drill holes through wood, her touch that only furthered his trip in that direction.

An image of C.J. popped into his head – not just any image, as he was already thinking about her, but rather one that threatened to embarrass him in front of the other guys should he have to stand up in front of them any time soon. It was a powerful thought, one not consciously generated by himself, but rather one that had popped fully formed into his head.

C.J. was naked and looking as if she'd just been throughly made love to. Her hair was splayed on the pillow beneath her head, her body covered in a thin sheen of sweat even as it trembled. Despite being utterly exhausted, her eyes still appeared to look into his, her arms reaching for him. He lay on top of her, being careful to brace his weight on his forearms. Her hands slid over his shoulders and began to caress his back, lightly scratching the flesh with her nails. She opened her mouth to speak and Shanon found himself eagerly anticipating what she was going to say.

"Shannon."

_Wait, why does she sound like Matt?_

"Hey, Shannon!"

Matt shoved his hand in front of Shannon's face, snapping his fingers to gain the other man's attention. For the past minute – give or take a few seconds – Shannon had had this idiotic grin on his face and a spaced-out look in his eyes that clearly said that his mind had gotten up and walked away from the table, leaving his body behind.

Shannon snapped out of his daze and looked over at Matt. "Sorry, I was just-"

"Daydreaming about C.J.?" Matt asked with a laugh.

Shannon and the others joined in the laughter, though Jeff's fell a little flat. If any of the other three men noticed, none of them chose to point it out.

"She's in my blood, man. Under my skin, but in a good way," Shanon said, unable to help himself. "It's been amazing, being with her. The time we've known each other may not seem like much, but at the same time feels like an eternity has passed since we first met. I think I can really see myself living the rest of my life with her."

Jeff surreptitiously began to examine the dirt under his fingernails, uncomfortable with the turn that the conversation had taken. Shannon was so happy with C.J.; obviously, deliriously, sickeningly so. That had used to be him and Beth, once upon a time.

He had previously blamed the deterioration of his relationship with Beth solely on the mysterious Cynthia Britt's shoulders, but since then he'd had time to think about it all. Perhaps too much time... He knew now that while Cynthia had certainly played her part in the whole affair, he and Beth were not completely without blame, either. If they'd managed to find some sort of compromise – instead of Beth stubbornly refusing his offers of help and him cutting her out of his life upon her decision to move out of his home – things most likely would have been different between them now.

Not wanting to risk losing himself to his thoughts in front of the other guys as Shannon had just done, Jeff decided to get out of there for a moment and asked for Shannon t move so that he could go to the bathroom.

Shannon complied after a moment's hesitation, then once Jeff had gotten out and started walking towards the men's bathroom , slid back into the booth and moved over to the wall, taking over Jeff's vacated spot. He watched Jeff's retreating figure – noting that Matt and Ron both turned their head to do the same – then moved his attention to the other two men once Jeff had disappeared from view.

"How's he doing, Matt?" Shannon asked, getting straight to the heart of the matter. He hated talking about Jeff behind his back, but doing it in front of his face was even more impossible. Jeff would just shrug off the question and say that he was fine.

"Yeah, man," Ron said. "Dude's been all mopey and shit since I got here. He's like this on the road, too, only just not as bad because he's focusing on work."

"I won't lie to you guys," Matt replied. "He's got me worried about him. Since Beth split, he's been on a decline. His work's even started to suffer – I'm sure you know what I mean?" He asked this of both men and – even though it was more of a rhetorical nature than an actual question – waited for both of them to nod their replies before he continued.

"He won't talk about Beth and he'll even leave the room if I mention her name. She used to call me to see how he was doing but she hasn't done so in over a week. I don't think she could continue to take the news of how he's been doing in her absence. I was torn between telling her the truth and lying to her, but in the end I had to tell her the truth. She'd be hurt either way, so what would be the point in lying?"

It was certainly true, what Matt had said. On one hand, he could have told Beth that Jeff was coming back from their break up. The result of this being that Beth suffered feeling that the years-long relationship they'd shared had only had genuine feelings on her part. Then there was the other option – telling Beth the truth, thus making her feel guilty for Jeff's suffering. A no-win situation if ever there was one.

Although they'd been talking about Jeff, it was still all too easy for Beth to enter the conversation. Even though they weren't currently together, it seemed only natural for them to be spoken of in the same conversation.

"He in danger of slipping?" Shannon asked, posing the question tentatively.

Matt knew Shannon was referring to the possibility of Jeff taking drugs to cope with the stress he was currently under. It wouldn't be the first time, of course, but if he was caught then it would cost him his job with the WWE.

Matt's deep breath was audible even over the din of the restaurant.

"I don't know and I'm not sure that I wish I did. I want to say no but..." He trailed off, shaking his head. He was conflicted. The part of him that was Jeff's older brother feared for his younger sibling, while the part of him that was Jeff's friend dared to hope that he'd manage to resist the temptation of losing himself to the pull of marijuana (if not something even worse).

Only time – and hopefully patience as well as understanding – would show which part of Matt was right.

* * *

After having taken the opportunity to relieve himself – since he was in the bathroom anyway – Jeff went to stand in front of one of the sinks. He fiddled with the knobs (the taps not being marked, he wasn't sure if it was hot on the right and cold on the left or the other way around) for a bit before leaning over to splash some cold water on his face. He counted in his head each time he let the water flow into his cupped hands until it overflowed, then brought those hands to his face before too much of it could escape back into the sink.

One, two, three, four...

Rubbing one hand down the middle of his face after the last time, he looked up to find himself staring into the eyes of his own reflection. His body seemed to drift into a trance as he allowed himself to dwell on some of the happy memories he'd shared with Beth before things had gone to pot.

Pot. An interesting word, considering...

No, he shouldn't be 'considering' that word.

But it was so very temping, especially as more time went by.

Seeing Shannon so happy and in love wasn't easy for Jeff, even though he liked C.J. a lot. He and Beth had been there a few months ago.

He'd given into the temptation to buy some marijuana – or 'pot' – last week but he had yet to smoke it. It remained sealed within a small plastic baggie, tucked inside a pair of socks in his underwear drawer at home.

After taking it home, he'd gone so far as to open it and inhale its intoxicating scent, but his hands had trembled when it came time to remove one of the buds to cut it up in preparation for rolling and smoking it. He'd resealed the bag and hid it inside a pair of fluorescent orange socks that he rarely wore.

The temptation to use it was strong, but not yet strong enough to make him give into the potentially destructive urge.

He turned away from the mirror and went to dry his face and hands with a paper towel, trying to ignore thoughts of going home to roll and smoke a big, fat joint. Besides, he didn't dare do so while Ron was staying with him. The guy was his friend and because of the kind of man that he was, Ron would be on the phone to Matt in an instant if he knew that Jeff was concealing any kind of illegal substance.

Ron wouldn't do it to be a dick, he'd do it because he cared about Jeff, having treated him like a brother for so much of the time that they'd known each other. Well, when they had the time to get together, that is.

By the time he left the bathroom and headed back to the booth, the food had already arrived and the other guys had started eating. He slid into the vacant seat and took a sip of his drink, thankful that no one chose to make a comment on his long absence.

* * *

After Meredith had shown Tara to her room and helped her to get settled in, she returned to C.J.'s office to talk with her. As she entered – not bothering to knock – she saw C.J. sitting behind her desk. Her hands cupped her face, covering her eyes, supporting the weight of her head with her elbows being propped up on the desk top. Repressing a sigh, Meredith closed the door behind her and went over to sit at the desk opposite her friend. It was the same seat recently vacated by Tara.

After a long moment of silence – C.J. was aware of Meredith's presence but had yet to acknowledge it – Meredith spoke.

"So how old is she?"

C.J. hesitated before answering. "Thirteen."

Meredith nearly flinched as she heard the number. "And is there any chance that someone legally responsible for her care will be coming here to give permission for her to stay?"

Another short pause, followed by the negative shaking of C.J.'s head.

At this confirmation of Meredith's fears, she let out the sigh that she'd been holding in since walking into the office. She leaned back in the chair and rubbed a hand across her face, feeling suddenly weary.

C.J. dropped her hands and looked at Meredith, unsure of what to say. She'd made a decision, without Meredith's input, that in the end could risk what they'd done and were trying to do here. They'd been friends for years and had a shared dream they'd made a reality, but that didn't mean that they always agreed on everything. In fact, Meredith had been against this location of the group home at first, saying that it had felt 'too remote'. Luckily, C.J. had managed to sway her mind. Otherwise she might never have met Shannon.

"Please," Meredith begged. "Please tell me you have a good reason for making this decision."

"She was raped by her father," C.J. said in a quiet, pained voice.

Meredith's hands fell into her lap, as if the feeling had suddenly gone right out of them.

"Oh, Cyn..." she said in a near-whisper. No wonder C.J. had done what she had concerning Tara.

"It's been a long time since you've called me that," C.J. mused in reflection.

'Cyn' was a nickname that Meredith had given her back when they had first met – about the same time that C.J. had started calling mer Merry. The only difference between the two nicknames had been that 'Cyn' hadn't really survived the change of Cynthia Jasmine into C.J.

Meredith leaned forward, placing her elbows on the edge of the desk. Her obvious displeasure over C.J.'s course of action regarding Tara evaporated after absorbing that bit of news. It wasn't completely gone – as this was an irresponsible act on C.J.'s part, especially to do so without consulting her partner – but concern for her friend's mental well-being outweighed that.

"I'm sorry," C.J. finally said after Meredith's silence. She looked away from her for a moment, then back again. "I should have consulted you. I realize that, I do. But... Damn... When I thought about what I should be telling her, I couldn't help but wonder what would have happened to me if I'd been her age when my step father raped me, instead of sixteen." She had to pause to breathe, feeling the emotions weigh down upon her chest like a rock.

Meredith reached across the desk and covered C.J.'s hands with her own. "Hey," she said, waiting for C.J. to look at her before she continued. "You're a wonderful person, beautiful both inside and out. You made some mistakes in your youth, but then everyone does. That's part of how we learn and grow. What happened to you wasn't your fault, it never was. Who knows what was in that man's mind that night? Or any other night, for that matter. Because no matter how drunk a man is, its never an excuse for what he did."

C.J. turned her hands over so that her palms were touching Meredith's and gave her hands a squeeze. "Thanks, Merry. I know that but its nice to be reminded from time to time."

Meredith nodded, understanding completely. She'd had similar periods of self-doubt and C.J. had always been there to back her up (even if written responses had taken precious time to arrive, which couldn't have really been helped).

"You know..." Meredith began. "I don't really agree with Tara being here. I think its a big risk, especially when being weighed against what we stand to lose, but I will support you and help in any way I can."

"Your support means the world to me," C.J. admitted. "But I want you involved as little as possible with Tara. If we're caught, I can claim full responsibility. That way it will all fall on me and hopefully this place won't suffer for my choices. I'll hand it all over to you and put the deed in your name."

Meredith was clearly surprised. "You're willing to risk everything on this one girl?"

C.J. nodded, sure of her answer. "Yes. I hadn't thought so, but yes. After all, we did get into this group home to help out pregnant teens. What does this place really stand for if we turn way those girls who need our help the most?"

Meredith realized C.J. was right. Unfortunately, that didn't change the laws that they were supposed to follow; laws that could effectively have this place shut down if C.J.'s plan to protect it failed if she should should happen to be discovered.

The friends shared a silence that lasted several minutes, each deeply reflective of past events that had led them to where they were now.

Meredith seemed to break free of the trance that held them captive first. She remained silent for another moment as she regarded C.J. Though she tried her best to conceal it, today had affected C.J. more than she had let on through either speaking or from body language. The hints were there if one knew what to look for, especially in a person you were so familiar with. The way she breathed, the way her eyes flickered (as if unable to focus on any specific target for more than a couple of seconds), how her hands intermittently squeezed Meredith's. These, as well as a few other details, told Meredith that C.J. was ready to figuratively crawl out of her skin.

"Hey," she said as she continued to firmly hold C.J.'s hands. C.J.'s eyes came to settle on her face as she continued. "Why don't you get out of here for now? Go have a bubble bath, eat some ice cream, maybe even get a massage from that man of yours."

That last part earned Meredith a smile from C.J., which she was glad to see.

"Speaking of Shannon, I don't think I'll be calling him from your phone... ever again.," Meredith said. Remembering that she still had C.J.'s cell phone on her, she separated her hands from her friend's and reached into the left front pocket of her pants for the little pink phone. She deposited it in C.J.'s outstretched palm, smiling as she noticed C.J.'s look of confusion.

"What happened?" C.J. asked, moving her gaze from the phone in her hand to Meredith's face.

"Well, he answered it thinking that I was you and..." Meredith trailed off, feeling the heat rising in her cheeks as she remembered the sexual tone of Shannon's voice.

"What? You can't just tell me something like that and then not explain it," C.J. said, leaning forward. Her body language was indicative of one that was ready to hear some juicy gossip, even if it did involve her boyfriend.

"Alright. It's a bit embarrassing, though. I mean, normally for me it wouldn't be, but Shannon is your man, after all."

"Merry, you're rambling!" C.J. exclaimed, affectionately stopping her friend from going any further.

Meredith stopped talking and took a deep breath. Upon letting it out, she began to speak, telling C.J. about the conversation that had transpired between herself and Shannon not too long ago.

"... 'so you can blow' – at which point I cut him off."

C.J. sat there for a moment, completely expressionless as she assimilated what Merry had just said. To look at her in that moment, one might wonder if she'd suffered a sensory overload and her mind had shut down to protect itself. Then suddenly she burst out laughing, imagining the look on Shannon's face when he learned that he hadn't been talking to her at all but propositioning her best friend instead.

Meredith joined her a minute later – it was too hard not to. Even having been somewhat embarrassed by the situation, she could see the humor in it.

As the laughter soon died down, Meredith's emotions turned to concern for her friend once more. It was wonderful that she'd been able to make her laugh, but the effects of that would only last so long on her before her spirit was once again hurting.

"Why don't you take off?" Meredith suggested again. "Maybe there's still time to make that lunch that Shannon was talking about."

C.J. thought it over for a moment, but was soon shaking her head. "No. Even if they're still eating, its just the guys right now. I would have been the only woman there. Let Shannon have his time with his friends - he doesn't spend nearly as much time with them as he used to before we started dating."

* * *

When Shannon arrived home later that day, he was quick to take note of the fact that C.J.'s car was parked in the driveway. Feeling a sense of elation that she'd already arrived home, he reached for the plain brown paper bag on the passenger seat and got out of the car, a bounce in his step as he headed for the front door.

"Princess?" Shannon called out as he entered, pausing to listen for her reply. When none was forthcoming, he moved further into the home, wondering with each step why she hadn't answered his call.

The place was silent, almost eerily so. Rather than shout out for her again, he walked through the house looking for her. For all he knew, she could have decided to take a nap and he didn't want to disturb her if that was the case.

It wasn't until Shanon reached the kitchen that he found C.J. The inside door had been left open, which he'd realized upon entering the room. That it had been closed when he left the house – after C.J. had already departed – was what drew his attention in that direction.

As he got closer to the screen door, he was able to see C.J. sitting on one of the lounge chairs staring into the pool. He watched her for a long mment, wondering what was on her mind.

The paper bag still clutched in Shannon's hand crinkled as he shifted his stance, drawing his attention to it briefly. Looking at it, he sensed that he was not going to be able to put any of its contents to use tonight. The last time he'd seen C.J. in this reflective state, a girl had been dropped off at the home by her parents, crying and begging them not to leave her, not to make her give up her baby. But they'd done what they'd set out to do, regardless of the poor young girl's feelings.

It had really torn at C.J.'s emotions that day. She'd been distracted, unfocused, until he'd finally managed to worm an explanation out of her. While C.J. kept the secrets of the girls who lived in the group home, there were certain things she was able to reveal about the goings on at Loving Arms. The treatment the parents had delivered to their own daughter – the identity of this girl, Shannon hadn't asked about nor had C.J. volunteered any possible identifying information – was deplorable.

He'd tried to imagine having a teenage daughter and what he might do if she were to become pregnant. While not knowing for certain how he would react in that situation – his assumption being that he would be at least a little pissed off at first and try to kill the little bastard that had slept with his daughter, though not literally – he hoped that he'd be supportive and loving towards her, instead of dumping her at a group home with the express purpose of having her give that baby up for adoption or she would not be welcome home after its birth.

Moving away frm the door, Shannon went to tuck his sexual goodie bag at the back of a rarely-used kitchen drawer before returning to watch his love stare into the pool water, still unaware of his nearby presence.

He gave her a few more moments alone while he figured out in his head how to approach her. After running through a few scenarios, he figured it was best to approach her quietly, be supportive and let her talk out whatever was bothering her.

Shannon opened the screen door; hearing the familiar squeak of the hinges, he thought in an absent sort of way that he should perhaps use some oil to make opening the screen door less noisy.

Though C.J. hadn't realized that Shannon had arrived home, her body was no less aware of his presence. The very fine hairs on the back of her neck had stood up and a slight tingle had danced along the nerve endings in her spine. Putting it down to the sudden breeze, however, she'd ignored these physical cues that were trying to tell her that her lover was near. So when the familiar squeak of metal hinges told of someone opening the back screen door, her body flinched in surprise. She turned her head to greet the intruder upon her deep thoughts, not in the least shocked to see that it was Shannon. For one thing, anyone else would have verbally announced their presence.

When Shannon saw the tentative smile that C.J. offered him and how it didn't come close to reaching her eyes, he knew that whatever was bothering her went deeper than what had happened before. He was almost afraid to find out what that was.

"Hey, beautiful," he said as he reached her, leaning down to place a chaste kiss on her forehead.

C.J. said nothing for a moment, instead sliding forward on the long chair – indicating her desire for Shannon to sit behind her.

Shannon fulfilled that unspoken wish, settling himself behind C.J. with ease before putting his hands on her shoulders and pulling her backward until she was leaning against his chest. His arms moved across her chest to hold her to him and he was gratified to feel her hands slide over his forearms a moment later.

Nothing was said at first as they just held each other, enjoying the physical closeness that at this moment had nothing to do with sex. They did enjoy sex, though, and sometimes for hours on end. But it was nice to just cuddle too.

Shannon resisted the natural urge to speak, waiting for C.J. to do so first. If he knew her like he thought he did, then no doubt she was gathering her thoughts before she decided on what to say. If he said anything right now, he risked disrupting her thoughts and making it longer before she was ready to talk.

"I hardly know where to begin," C.J. finally said. A moment of silence followed those words before she spoke again.

"A girl showed up at the home today."

This, Shannon already knew from what Merry had told him during their embarassing phone conversation earlier, but perhaps C.J. didn't know that. Or possibly, as part of the story she was preparing to tell, she just needed to get it out again.

"She was so wretched-looking; pathetically thin, pale... She looked exhausted and scared. She was scared, actually." C.J. was starting to ramble but perhaps this was the best way for her to talk about what had happened today with the girl.

"Tara..." she said softly, sounding on the verge of desperation.

Shannon's eyebrows shot up in surprise. In all their time together, C.J. had never utterred the name of any of the girls in her care. She took her commitment to them very seriously, rarely discussing any of them and espeically not in any way that could help to identify any of them.

"She's so much like me. Or so much like I used to be. Back when I was pregant and trying to survive on my own. And the things she's gone through... God!"

C.J. shifted in Shannon's embrace before leaning back against him.

"She's gone through a lot of the same things that I'd gone through and she's suffered more for it all than I ever did."

Shannon wished he knew what exactly C.J. was talking about.

Then again, perhaps not.

He'd always figured that whatever kind of life that C.J. had up to the point where she'd become a pregnant runaway in her mid-teens was something she could keep to herself if she chose. Even being the man that loved her, it was not his business to pry into a past that she found too painful to share – aside from the few minor tidbits she'd already imparted, of course. If that were to change in the future, however, he would be there to listen to her and be supportive the whole while.

"Shannon," C.J. said, her voice taking on a serious tone. Her following words were equally as serious-sounding, with none of the rambling quality that had possessed her speech until now.

Shannon tightened his grip around C.J. in a wordles show of support.

"You need to know that I could get in serious trouble from helping this girl."

"How?" he asked, unable to prevent the question from slipping past his lips. _The group home is there for pregnant girls to have a place to go to, _he thought. _So how can she get in trouble for taking another one in?_

"She's only thirteen," C.J. explained. "State law says that I can't take in any girl under the age of fifteen, unless a parent or guardian gives written consent for her to be there."

Enlightened now, Shanon continued to remain silent as he processed this new information.

"I'd understand if you wanted to take a step back from us for a while," she offered when Shannon made no comments on her revelation. She'd taken his silence to mean that he was considering what the legal ramificaitons to himself would be if she were caught and their relationship came to light. She started to lean forward – expecting that Shannon's arms would release her – but was surprised when his powerfuly-built biceps refused to budge.

Shannon placed his chin on C.J.'s left shoulder and spoke directly into her ear, his tone just as – if not more than – serious as hers had been.

"If you ever say something like that again, I promise that I will turn you over my knee and spank your cute little ass until you can't sit on it for at least a week." He punctuated his words by growling low in his throat.

In the past, such a growl would normally send a shiver of sexual awareness down her spine. All she felt now, however, was shame - shame that she had held any doubt over Shannon distancing himself from her while Tara was in her care. That wasn't the kind of man that Shannon was. He was passionate, vibrant, loyal, and very loving in the things he said and did for all the people he cared about, including herself.

"I'm sorry," C.J. said, both feeling and sounding very small. What else could she say, really, in responce to Shannon's threat.

No, not threat. Promise.

After all, Shanon wasn't a man to say things he didn't mean. Unless, of course, he was joking around or acting in storylines for TNA. But it was always clear when he was doing either.

Tears fell from C.J.'s eyes as she firmly pressed her lips together. _How humiliating_, she thought about crying in Shannon's arms like this. The pain in her chest – pain which she felt came from having disappointed Shannon in some way – felt very nearly unbearable.

Shannon knew that C.J. was crying almost the instant after she'd started. It wasn't hard to tell, even despite her efforts to hide her tears from him. There had been a slight tremor in her voice as she'd offered an unnecessary apology for her words, accompanied by a trembling in her body.

He wanted to immediately protest that he hadn't meant to make her cry but couldn't seem to find his voice – even after opening his mouth to try to say something – beyond the comforting noises that he began to make in the back of his throat.

C.J. turned in Shannon's embrace until she could comfortably press her face against his chest, drawing her knees up next to her body and wrapping an arm around them to stabilize them. Her other arm lay touching Shannon, the hand clenching a wad of the fabric of his shirt in her fist.

Shannon shifted to sit more comfortably; bending one leg up to rest against her back while letting the other one hang over the side with his foot resting against the ground.

Seeing C.J. cry made him want to weep himself. Her pain showed clearly through her tears and the sounds of the sobs she soon began to make. He coudlnt' tell which was worse – hearing her cry or not being able to do anything to ease her pain. So he just held her for a long time as she let her tears fall freely, soaking a large spot on his chest even as the sobs that shook her body vibrated through his.

As C.J. exhausted herself from crying, her tears slowly came to a shuddering halt. Still, Shannon held her, continuing to offer her as much silent support as he possibly could. He didn't really know what else he could do for her. He wasn't a man comfortable with seeing a woman in tears – espeically not one that he cared for so deeply – but he was thankful he was tough enough to brave those free-falling liquid diamonds to comfort his beautiful woman.

After what seemed like an eternity had passed, Shannon gently urged C.J. to stand. He got up behind her, then came to stand next to her while placing an arm around her back. Wordlessly, he began to lead her into the house. As they walked through the kitchen, he shot a brief regretful glance at the drawer where he'd hidden his purchases, but knew that even so much as broaching the subject of anal sex with C.J. would have to wait. And not just until tomorrow, either, but several days at least. This girl, Tara, was going to take a lot of C.J.'s focus, emotional and otherwise.

Shannon brought C.J. into the bathroom where – still without speaking – he began to undress C.J., dropping her clothes, piece by piece, into the dirty laundry basket as they came away from her body. Once she was completely naked, he undressed himself before going over to the shower to turn the water on. He adjusted the knobs until the water was hot but not unbearably so and turned to extend a hand to C.J.

C.J. looked at Shannon shyly, almost as if she was embarassed for her emotional outburst, and placed her hand in his. He led her into the shower and placed her under the spray while facing him. She closed her eyes as he tilted her head back, allowing the water to completely soak her hair. Once that was done, Shannon turned her around so that she was facing away from him and reached for her floral-scented shampoo.

As he massaged the shampoo into her hair and scalp, Shannon couldn't help but think about how this shampoo and its matching conditioner were the very first of C.J.'s things to find permanent residence within his home. The first time she'd showered here, she'd had to use his products. For hours later – during that meal with Jeff (as this was the morning following the first night she and Shannon had become lovers) and beyond – she'd been constantly wrinkling her nose at the manly smell she'd temporarily acquired. So for the next time she's come to spend the night at Shannon's house, she'd brought her own shampoo, conditioner, body wash and loofah sponge – he used bar soap.

C.J. closed her eyes as she let Shannon do as he wanted with her. She silently let him lead her, direct her with his hands and positive sounds as she did what he wanted her to. At points, she felt his semi-erect organ brush up against her lower back, belly, or either of her hips as he moved her around, yet never once did Shannon indicate with either words or actions that he wanted what was happening between them to take a more sexual turn. Even as he was partially aroused, his sole purpose seemed to be on taking care of her.

Though taking as much time as he pleased with C.J., Shannon quickly ran through his own shower routine, finishing in somewhere under three minutes while C.J. watched him silently from beneath a mane of damp, cleansed hair.

Shannon's care continued as they left the shower. He wrapped her in a towel and blow-dried and brushed her hair before they left the bathroom. In the bedroom, he removed her towel and finished drying her off by rubbing it all over her curves – curves which normally excited him with very little effort but which he was trying to ignore the allure of at the moment in favor of showing how much he loved his woman in a different way.

Following the towelling-off, Shannon got C.J. to lay face down on the bed while he straddled her hips and started giving her a massage, using some of her favorite lavender-scented body lotion to rub into her skin. He started at her neck and made his way down, working out each knot of tension as he discovered them.

Shannon lost track of how much time he spent on this task – though it wasn't really a task to him, more like a labor of love – but he kept going down the back of her body with his hands until he was rubbing the bottoms of her feet. As he did this, he contemplated turning her over and taking care of her front in a similar fashion but ended up deciding against it as it would be counter-productive to what he was trying to do here.

C.J. was feeling happy and a bit sleepy from Shannon's efforts. Not just the massage, but everything he'd done tonight for her. He hadn't needed to do anything for her beyond the comforting embrace by the poolside, yet he had and without being prompted to, either. Though her offer for him to walk away from their relationship for a while had been genuine – she would not want to risk him suffering for her choices – she was very grateful that he had not taken her up on it. Shannon was such an important person in her life that she wasn't sure how she'd be able to cope if he suddenly wasn't there. She hoped that she would never have to find that out.

Shannon dressed C.J. in lacey white panties and a dark blue silk pajama shirt that he never used – later for more obvious reasons, the same ones which had C.J. never bothering to bring her own sleepwear – and put boxers and the bottoms to the same pajama set on himself. He led C.J. out of the bedroom, grabbing a spare blanket from the linen closet along the way, and brought her into the lviing room.

C.J. found herself wondering what Shannon was up to but still refrained from speaking. She found she liked this aspect of his character and was choosing to enjoy it rather than question things. He settled her on the couch and placed the blanket over her lap before walking over to the entertainment center. She admired his back and the way the muscles moved beneath his skin as he took a movie from its case and popped it in the DVD player. She didn't see which movie he'd chosen as she'd been busy admiring his body at the time, but she knew she'd figure out what it was soon enough.

"I'll be right back," he told her, hurrying away into the kitchen, leaving C.J. to watch some old previews of movies that had long since come out on video, one or two of which had even had sequels come out to video.She watched them while listening to Shannon moving around in the kitchen, shoving drawers in and out, opening and closing doors.

Shannon came back into the living room carrying a tray holding the three one litre tubs of ice cream from the freezer, two bowls, two spoons, the ice cream scoop, a can of whipped cream, a bag of marshmallows, rainbow candy sprinkles, gourmet jelly beans, and the bottle of Nesquik chocolate syrup.

Shannon set the loaded tray on to the coffee table before settling himself on the couch next to C.J., beneath the blanket. He leaned forward to pull the coffee table closer, then picked up the ice cream scoop and offered it to her, handle first.

C.J. accepted the ice cream scoop from Shannon and set about making herself a Sundae that was more toppings than ice cream. When she was nearly done, the familiar menu music from one of her favorite movies hit her ears and she looked up at the TV. A second later, she turned to Shannon with a small smile on her face. "Coyote Ugly?" she asked.

Shannon returned her look, merely lifting one shoulder in reponse. Personally, he disliked the movie. But C.J. loved it and tonight was all about her, about making her feel better after everything that she'd been through today.

C.J. added some whipped cream to the top of her little mountain of ice cream and toppings and leaned back as Shannon grabbed the remote to start the movie before serveing himself from the variety on the tray.

Shannon forced himself to pay attention to the movie even though he didn't like it (to say that he hated it would be more accurate), eating almost mechanically from the bowl he'd rested high up on his chest. He could sense C.J. glancing at him several times. Though he wondered what that was about, he did nothing until the point where Violet Sanford got on the top of the bar and began doing karaoke to some old song he couldn't remember the name of in order to stop the riot going on all around her before her boss and the cops came back into the bar.

As Shannon felt C.J.'s eyes on him once again, he turned his head suddenly and caught her gaze. "What?" he asked, smiling at her.

Despite his happy expression, hers remained serious even as her eyes dropped to his lips. She raised a hand to his face, tenderly rubbing away a small mess of chocolate sauce and whipped cream. Once the spot was gone, her eyes rose to his once more. She opened her mouth, then hesitated as if unsure of what to say.

Shannon raised one hand to cup hers, turning briefly to kiss it. Her gentle sigh had him looking at her again, a question in his eyes.

"I love you," she said, the words falling from her lips as though it were the most natural thing in the world to do so.

Shannon's eyes darkened in an instant. Though he'd been certain before now of the feelings C.J. had for him, it was another thing entirely to hear the words themselves falling from her lucious lips. A new smile spread across his face, different than the one previously shown. It was almost predatory, kind of wolfish. He leaned toward her slowly, giving her the opportunity to back away from him if that was her wish.

But C.J. didn't move and even tilted her face up for his kiss as his mouth descended upon hers. As their lips met, they forgot about everything for a while; the bowls still in their hands with the heat from their skin slowly melting the sugary concoctions, the movie playing in the background, even the slowly melting tubs of ice cream on the tray. Her hands moved to cup his shoulders while his came up to gently frame her face.

When the kiss ended, they remained close. Their lips separated as their foreheads began to touch. Nothing else existed but them and this moment, which was alright because they were all each other needed. They loved each other, they were committed to their relationship. What could possibly ever come between them?


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: My apologies again for the long wait everyone. Hopefully this chapter - which reached an amazing 18 pages in my OpenOffice program - will help?**

**Thanks once again to WandaXmaximoff (ID: 747588), who continues to read and beta my work, and put up with my craziness from time to time. Go read her stuff, people! Trust me, you won't regret it.  
**

**And to littlerascalash (ID: 408798). I showed you mine, now you show me yours. ;)**

* * *

Jeff Hardy sat on the end of his bed staring at his dresser. Not the dresser in its entirety, but one drawer specifically. There were eight drawers in all – four rows of two drawers each – but the one that his attention was focused on was the top left one.

The top left drawer contained Jeff's assortment of colorful underwear and rolled up pairs of socks. At the back of that drawer – near the back and slightly toward the right – was the pair of fluorescent orange socks that held the pot he'd purchased several days ago and had yet to smoke. Its presence in his home was nearly always on his mind, making the temptation increasingly harder to resist.

Just one joint. What could it hurt? If he could smoke one joint, it would help to take the edge off. He'd been suffering under the weight of so much stress lately. All he needed was a break, however small.

Well, truthfully, not just lately had the stress been bothering him so badly. It had all started snowballing after Beth had moved out, but it hadn't been too bad until just recently. There was finally talk of him getting a championship run at work. It had made him excited at first, but only briefly. There was so much more work involved in being the champion – more signings, more promotions, more travel, more public appearances. Just generally more of everything that was involved in being a wrestler. And without Beth at his side to share it, what was the point?

In losing Beth, he hadn't just lost the woman he loved, he'd lost a piece of himself too.

* * *

Ron knocked on the door to Jeff's bedroom, waiting for a response from within before he opened it.

Jeff sat on the end of his bed, elbows resting on his knees while he stared at the floor. He looked deep in thought about something, though Ron ventured to guess that it had something to do with Beth. The man just hadn't been the same since she'd left.

"You ready to go, man?" Ron asked.

Jeff had offered to drive Ron around while he looked at houses in the area, since he was much more familiar with it than Ron was.

Jeff nodded slowly and rose from his position on the bed. He walked over to the dresser to grab his wallet and keys before following Ron from the room.

"So where's the first place we're going to?" Jeff asked as they moved through the house.

Ron pulled a small notebook from the pocket of his black jeans and flipped it open. After a few seconds, he gave Jeff the first address on his list.

"That's not very far from here," Jeff commented. "Twenty minutes at the most."

Ron nodded as they walked outside, Jeff stopping long enough to shut and lock the door before they went to get into his car.

Jeff tried to forget about Beth and concentrate on his driving, but she was never very far from his mind or his thoughts.

* * *

C.J. sat in the waiting room of the local Obstetrician/Gynecologist's office. Patricia Brennan was the woman that C.J. and Meredith had agreed upon to look after the medical needs of the girls that came to Loving Arms. She was a woman in her late forties with many years of experience already behind her and a compassionate nature that had put many a young, nervous woman at ease. One of the things that made her such an excellent doctor was that she didn't care if a patient was married or single, old or young; they were all treated the same.

Today was Tara's first appointment with Patricia, which had been scheduled this soon due to a lucky cancellation on the part of another patient. Tara had been reluctant to go, fearing that this would lead to exposure and discovery by her father, but C.J. had been insistent on this point – Tara needed to be seen by a doctor to make sure that both she and her unborn child were healthy. Though C.J. couldn't confirm it as she didn't want to ask, she strongly suspected that this would be the first time that Tara had seen a doctor during her entire pregnancy.

C.J. lost track of the time she'd been sitting there when the secretary called her name to get her attention and informed her that the doctor was waiting in her office to speak with her.

C.J., having already been here many times before for other girls' appointments, knew where the office room was, so headed straight for it after putting the magazine down and rising from her seat.

Patricia was sitting behind her desk when C.J. entered, making notes in the folder placed in front of her. Tara's folder, most likely, was C.J.'s guess.

After finishing with what she'd been writing, Patricia looked up and acknowledged C.J.'s presence.

"C.J.," she said, smiling. "Please have a seat," she added, indicating the chair directly across from her with a wave of her hand.

C.J. sat in the offered seat, giving Patricia her thanks. "Tara's getting dressed?"

"Yes, as well as making a much-needed trip to the bathroom."

Both women shared a smile before getting down to business.

"From the size of the baby, I'd estimate her gestation at about five months. However, due to her being malnourished and slightly dehydrated, she could be as far as six months along."

C.J. nodded, showing that she understood what was being said so far.

"She's got a lung infection which is thankfully minor at this point. I've prescribed an antibiotic that will be safe for her to take in her condition. She'll need a modified diet to help her gain weight so I've taken the liberty of setting up an appointment for her with a nutritionist. That will be three days from today, shortly after 11 am. Until then, it wouldn't hurt to let her snack between meals when she wants to. A few fast food meals wouldn't be amiss either, but don't overdo it."

Patricia shuffled a few papers around and piled a few things together.

"There's also a short list of supplements I'd like for her to take. Not too many right now, but I expect I'll want to add on an item or two once her blood tests come back."

Patricia pushed the small collection of papers across the desk towards C.J., who accepted them by folding them neatly and placing them in her purse.

"Any other advice you have for me?" C.J. asked.

"Professionally, no. But on a personal note, I wish I'd been there when her parents had dropped her off at the home in this sorry shape. Hopefully once she's had the baby she can find somewhere else to go and get her life together."

C.J. stiffened at Patricia's mention of Tara's parents. She had decided after much thought that it would be better to keep the truth from the older woman about the illegality of Tara's stay at the group home. Mainly for the reason that – while the doctor would have sympathy for Tara because of her history – she would be legally obligated to report the case to the authorities. While Tara would most likely not be made to go back to the father that had repeatedly molested her, unfortunately that would not apply to the child within her. Because of the molestation of Tara, he might never be unsupervised with the child he'd impregnated her with, but unfortunately the law still gave him parental rights over it; boy or girl.

"Yes," C.J. finally said in agreeance. "That's understandable."

Patricia gave C.J. a strange look but decided not to comment on what she'd said, choosing to put it down to the likelihood that she'd said nothing to Tara's parents on her obviously poor condition. She didn't doubt that C.J. would have wanted to say something , but she could have held her tongue in favor of keeping Tara at the home. If she'd antagonized the parents, they could have chosen to take Tara elsewhere.

"I'll want to see her again in about two weeks," Patricia said. "So make an appointment for her on the way out, alright?"

C.J. nodded, then rose from her seat. "See you later."

As C.J. walked out of the office, Tara was just coming down the hallway from the exam room she'd been in. She looked wary, but that wasn't anything new from the few days C.J. had known her.

"Ready to go?" C.J. asked, receiving a shaky nod from Tara in reply.

"I thought we'd go do some clothes shopping, then grab a bite to eat before we go back to the group home," C.J. said in an off-handed manner as they began to walk. She felt Tara glance at her – most likely in surprise – but pretended not to notice.

"How am I supposed to pay for all that?" Tara asked, not wanting to assume that C.J. was going to cover all the costs on her own. She was afraid to trust in the woman's kindness, having known too little of it in her life until now.

"You're not, I am," C.J. replied simply.

"Why?"

C.J. shrugged one shoulder. "Because you need it?" She opened the door as they came to it and held it open for Tara before walking through it herself.

"Oh, the clothes I could see needing," Tara said as she tugged self-consciously at the bottom hem of her faded blue t-shirt, which exposed the under side of her rounded belly no matter how much she tried to pull it down. "But take out?"

Again, C.J. shrugged. What could she say about it, really? That she was hungry and buying the food for herself, she was just being nice enough to share? She wanted Tara to trust her, not laugh derisively in her face over her efforts.

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

The way Tara asked the question – as if wondering why she deserved to have anyone behave nicely towards her – had C.J. pausing only a few yards from her car. Tara took a few more steps before her mind registered the fact that C.J. was no longer walking beside her, then stopped and turned to face the woman, waiting with an expectant air.

"You remind me so much of myself when I was younger," C.J. said truthfully. "Within you there is the potential to do great things. All you need is a guiding hand to show you the right path. I want to be the one to be there for you when you need someone to talk to and offer you guidance when you're not sure of what to do."

There was a long moment of silence, eventually broken by Tara speaking.

"It's nice of you, really nice. But... I know I could use help, I know it... But..."

Seeing that Tara was struggling to find the right words, C.J. stepped in to help her out.

"It's not charity, if that's what you're thinking. I want to help you reach your full potential. Who knows? Maybe one day you'll come across someone that reminds you of yourself at this point in your life and you'll want to help them like I'm helping you."

"Kinda like, _'Pay It Forward'_, huh?" Tara asked, relating their situation to that movie.

C.J. nodded, remembering the movie that Tara had mentioned. It had been several years since she'd seen it, but she still remembered the movie about the young boy with the independent study project on how to make the world a better place.

Satisfied with C.J.'s explanation, Tara gave her a nod which indicated her approval. A favor made to her now in return for giving a favor to someone else in the future that would need it as much as she needed C.J.'s help now.

"I want you to consider today a gift," C.J. said.

"No strings attached?" Tara couldn't help but ask. There'd been too many times in the past where gifts she'd been bade to receive had come with certain 'strings' that she'd been less than enthusiastic about.

"Well, maybe one string," C.J. replied after a moment. Seemingly unaware that Tara had tensed up, she continued. "I don't want you to look at any price tags today." Her tone was mock-serious.

Tara giggled – actually giggled! - and C.J. found herself smiling at the musical sound.

"Come on, the sooner we shop, the sooner we can get something to eat," C.J. said, still smiling. "I don't know about you, but I can hear a nice big and juicy hamburger calling my name."

* * *

"So how many places does that make now?" Jeff asked. He and Ron had been looking at houses for most of the morning and Jeff was getting seriously hungry.

"Six, I think," Ron replied. He took his notebook out and began flipping through the pages for the notes he'd written.

"No, seven."

It was amazing they'd managed to get all those houses seen after only a few hours, considering the time it took to see each of them, the distance between each house, and having Realtors there to let them in as the houses were listed under three different companies; four at one, two at another, and one by a third, lesser-known company.

"Any more houses to see today?" Jeff asked. His mind was distracted and he couldn't remember the number of houses Ron had said he was scheduled to see today so they might actually be finished already for all he knew.

"Three more today," Ron told him. "But the next one isn't until two."

"Excellent. Feel like gettin' something to eat?"

"Sure," Ron replied, nodding. "I'm sure you know a good place to eat around here."

'Here' was Sanford, about a twenty minute drive north of Cameron. Not exactly a place that Jeff had frequented in the past – partly due to the fact that his mom had died at the hospital here when he was still a boy - but he knew enough to get to where he was going and some of the better places to eat.

"Yeah, I know a few joints," Jeff said. He flinched at the word, 'joints' popping out of his mouth when he'd intended to say, 'places'. He coughed, hoping he'd managed to cover up the awkward moment adequately. "What you in the mood for?"

Ron had noticed a slight awkwardness about Jeff, but didn't really think anything of it. If anything, he put it down to a tickle in the guy's throat, which explained the cough to someone who wasn't really paying full attention to his driver but rather thinking over the details of the houses they'd seen just that morning.

"Nah, man. You pick. I can go for just about anything right now," Ron replied.

Ron became involved in reading his notebook, barely paying any attention to Jeff's actions over the next few minutes: activating the right turn signal, turning a the next intersection, making a sound of both amusement and recognition, slowing the car, rolling the window down, and sticking his head out.

"Hey gorgeous, lookin' for a ride?" Jeff yelled out.

Ron looked toward Jeff in surprise, his mouth slightly open in shock while his eyebrows rose high on his face. A second later – as the car stopped completely – he looked around Jeff to the petite blond woman standing next to a young, pregnant brunette. Jeff wasn't the type to verbally accost strange women like that so he couldn't help but wonder what had gotten into the guy.

* * *

"Are you really sure I need all this stuff?" Tara – who was wearing one of her new outfits – asked, sounding a bit nervous. She and C.J. were walking down a street, heading back to where the car had been parked. Each of them carried several bags containing various articles of clothing, some cheap accessories for hair, neck, and wrists, and the only things that Tara had actually requested today – a diary with a lock (not a cheap one, but one with three small dials – each set with the numbers from 0 to 9 – that would allow the owner to set their own combination), some plain notebooks and a few colorful pens.

"Need?" C.J. said. "Probably not. But it sure was fun to shop for it all, wasn't it?" She smiled, which seemed to incite a similar expression on Tara's face.

"Yeah, I guess-"

"Hey gorgeous, lookin' for a ride?" a voice familiar to C.J. yelled, making the both of them jump.

C.J. turned around to see Jeff Hardy – who else? - across the road with his head stuck out of the driver's side window of his corvette.

"No, I'm not looking for a ride, but it looks like someone could use a muzzle and a leash," she yelled back, laughing at the mock hurt expression that appeared on Jeff's face.

Jeff looked up and down the street for any approaching traffic before he pulled his head back inside the car and moved one hand to unbuckle his seat belt.

"Man, what are you doing?" Ron asked. "Who is that?"

Jeff looked over at Ron, grinning. "That's C.J., Shannon's lady."

Ron looked around Jeff to the woman across the street again. _So this is her, then,_ he thought. "Who's the girl?"

Jeff glanced over at the young teenager wearing a plain cream-colored t-shirt and short legged pink jean overalls. The girl was looking to C.J. as C.J. explained about the man with the crazy colored hair and random braids.

"Don't know. Probably some girl from that group home of hers."

Jeff checked again for cars and other vehicles before he got out of the car and jogged across the street to meet C.J. He gave a polite nod to Tara, who looked shyly up at him, before focusing his attention on C.J. He didn't realize it at the moment, but his spirit felt lighter and he felt a little less troubled in her presence .

"So what are you ladies up to?" Jeff asked, shooting a short glance to Tara.

"We're just going to bring these bags back to the car and then we're going to get something to eat," C.J. replied.

"Well, Ron and I," Jeff pointed over his shoulder with his thumb to the car he'd just come from, "were about to go do the same thing. Why don't you join us?"

"What do you think?" C.J. asked, turning to Tara for her opinion.

"I, well, umm..." Tara said, flustered to be the center of attention, even if it was only the attention of two adults. She bit her bottom lip, clearly indecisive about what to say.

"That's okay, darlin'," Jeff said, winking at Tara. "A lot of women are speechless around me." He then smiled at her, delighted when she giggled at his deliberately cheesy antics. The girl seemed really timid and while Jeff couldn't know why she was that way, he was happy for having drawn her out of her shell a bit, however long it lasted.

"So what do you say?" Jeff asked, still speaking directly to Tara. He'd never encountered one of C.J.'s girls before now. Sure, he'd seen a few of them before – mainly when Andrew had been filming for the Hardy Show at the group home – but this was the first time he'd interacted with one of them.

Tara smiled and nodded a little eagerly. It was flattering to have the attention of an attractive man, even if he wasn't serious about it.

C.J. was pleased to find that Tara wasn't withdrawn around men. It had been a worry of hers, mainly because of the abuse the girl had received from her father.

"So where's your car parked?" Jeff asked, looking at C.J.

"Oh..." C.J. looked away from Jeff and in the direction that she and Tara had been heading before he'd stopped them. "Two blocks in that direction," she said, pointing in the direction that she and Tara had been heading. "Then turn left and up one block."

Jeff nodded. "Okay, hold on a sec." He turned to walk back across the road, quickly looking both ways before he crossed.

C.J. and Tara watched him cross the street and walk around to the far side of the car where his dark-skinned passenger now stood waiting for him on the sidewalk. The two shared a brief conversation, at the end of which Ron turned to C.J. and Tara to smile and wave at them.

Ron got back into the car while Jeff returned to C.J. and Tara.

"Ron's gonna drive to the parking lot and wait for us there," he informed them. He then helped them with some of their bags, relieving both of at least half their burdens.

* * *

Ron stood casually leaning up against the side of Jeff's car as he waited for the other man and his two female companions.

_So that woman was C.J._ he thought. Not his type but he could see that she was attractive. No surprise that Shannon was drawn to her – at least based on a visual standpoint. Looks weren't an indication of personality , which he knew all too well, so he was looking forward to getting to know the woman behind the face, so to speak.

The presence of the young teenage girl had thrown him for a moment. He didn't get why she'd been taking a personal interest in any of the girls in her care – outside of the group home, that is.

He straightened as he caught sight of the very trio he'd been waiting for, entering the far side of the parking lot, the two women ahead of Jeff now as they showed him the way to C.J.'s car. Jeff appeared to be loaded down with most of the girls' purchases, not that it surprised him. Jeff may be a self-proclaimed enigma, but he always tended to treat women with decency and respect, no matter who they were or what they looked like.

After the bags had all been placed in the trunk and the lid closed, Jeff began to look around for Ron.

Ron let out an ear-piercing whistle and waved a hand in the air. Jeff noticed him almost immediately and began to make his way over to him, C.J. and Tara following close behind.

It was only a moment or two before they reached him. Tara was looking rather shy around him but he barely paid her any attention. He doubted he'd see her again after today and didn't see much point in getting to know her. He'd be polite and try not to ignore her, but neither was he planning to put much effort into talking to her.

* * *

Tara appreciated the effort on Jeff's part to put her at ease by talking and joking with her. Being pregnant at her obviously young age and by the circumstances she'd suffered had made her shy around other people – even C.J. at first.

Jeff was a star in her eyes. She had no idea that he was in fact a celebrity, never having watched wrestling before, but his kindness shone through his outer shell as bright as any star in the heavens.

Though she'd only just met him, Tara could tell she was already crushing on Jeff. Later – in the privacy of her bedroom back at the group home – she would indulge in some fantasies about him. Fantasies where she was older and had grown up with a different life, where Jeff could see her as a woman he wanted to be with.

Despite the fact that Tara had been molested by her father and had become pregnant as a result – two things which had undoubtedly stolen her remaining childhood and made certain aspects of her more mature as a result – she was still much the typical teenager in some regards. But where other girls – more normal girls – might actually believe that they could end up with the object of their crush, Tara was realistic enough to know that her and Jeff was something that would never happen even once she was thirty and he was... Well, she wasn't sure how old he was, but he'd probably be at least fifty when she was thirty , she figured.

Jeff introduced C.J. and Tara to Ron before the four of them headed off to a near by restaurant for lunch.

* * *

The place was basically a burger and fries joint, though those two items didn't comprise most of the place's menu. Not like the modern, plastic facade of chain restaurants like Burger King or MacDonald's , its decor – while darkly colored – was warm and inviting. Wood-paneled walls with a rich walnut stain, ceiling-hung lamps with frosted glass covers to diffuse the harsh brightness cast by the light bulbs within, rug-covered floors in the dining areas – black, dark brown, and cream-colored with a squares-inside-squares pattern.

Tara had chosen to order a cheeseburger, onion rings and a strawberry milkshake. C.J. changed her mind about the hamburger and ordered a taco salad instead with a Pepsi to drink. Ron and Jeff both got the porterhouse steak and baked potato, but where Ron had ordered a beer for himself, Jeff had gotten a gingerale. Jeff wasn't the type to drink and drive, even if it was just one drink. If there was ever an exception to that rule, it would be if he was driving around on his own property with no one else around, with no more than a few drinks in his system.

* * *

Ron had gotten up to get himself another beer and Tara was currently in the bathroom – her second trip since their arrival – when C.J. calmly folded her hands and placed them on the table just in front of her plate, her eyes watching Jeff's face as he initially tried to avoid her but soon gave in.

"What?" he asked, trying to pretend he had no idea why she was staring at him like she expected him to spill his guts or something.

"You're good, Jeff. You almost had me fooled."

Jeff hesitated a moment, keeping his clueless expression firmly in place. Then – knowing that she wasn't buying into his act – he let the expression fall and his shoulders sag.

"Alright, alright," he said with a sigh. "There's something-" he broke off abruptly, looking from side to side. Though he couldn't see that anyone was listening to him, he was still paranoid about being overheard. "Can we talk later?"

C.J. nodded. She didn't have a problem with that. "Later at Shannon's sound good?" With Shannon away and no one else knowing about them planning the meet, they'd have the privacy that Jeff seemed to want.

"Sure," Jeff replied. "I'll come around some time after seven tonight. Okay?"

"Yes," C.J. agreed. "Should I put a pot of coffee on, then?"

"Please."

As easy as that, their conversation ended and they fell into a comfortable silence as they waited for their two dining companions to return. Well, perhaps not quite so comfortable on Jeff's behalf, as some small part of him dreaded telling C.J. about what was on his mind as well as what was in his underwear drawer.

* * *

With her head down as she navigated her way back to the table, Tara was rubbing a hand across the ache in her lower back when she accidentally bumped into someone.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Tara rushed to say, backing up even as she spoke. She looked up at the middle-aged woman she'd bumped into and inwardly cringed at the sour expression on her wrinkled face.

The woman's gaze roamed quickly over Tara's body and noted with disgust the obviously pregnant bulge of her belly.

"You should be ashamed of yourself!" she said, her voice filled with venom. "Going out in public in your state!"

Tara's body seemed to try to withdraw into itself as her head fell and her shoulders slumped. Though it wasn't her fault she was currently pregnant, she felt as though she should apologize to the matronly woman.

"Is there a problem here?"

A comforting hand touched Tara's left shoulder and she shot a glance in that direction, a little surprised to see Ron standing there even though she had recognized his voice almost instantly.

The woman's face grew even more ugly – which hadn't seemed possible just seconds ago but was now a reality – as her gaze shot to Ron. A mistaken sense of understanding filled her as her eyes flickered back and forth between him and Tara.

"Disgusting pervert!" Her eyes and nostrils flared as she spoke. "You should be in jail!"

A little in shock at the mistaken conclusion the woman had come to, Ron could only stare at her as she abruptly turned on her heel and left him standing there with Tara, who was left shaking from the encounter.

"You okay, kid?" Ron asked.

Tara's face was still pointed at the ground as she nodded, even though it was clear that she was not 'okay'.

"Why don't you, uh..." Ron paused for a brief moment as his mind grasped at a suggest, any suggestion. "Go splash some water on your face and then come back to the table?"

Again, Tara nodded. She turned away from Ron and headed back to the bathroom she had left only moments ago, moments which seemed like a lifetime now.

Ron let his hand drop and he watched as Tara walked away. Even though he wouldn't see her again after today, he couldn't help but feel bad for her – not only for what had just happened here, but also for her situation of being pregnant as well as being isolated from her family at the same time. He couldn't have known that she'd never go back home, if given the chance to do so.

He went back to the table with his beer, ignoring the not-so-subtle looks of the people he passed. As he got closer, he noticed that Jeff and C.J. seemed deeply involved in conversation. Clearly they hadn't noticed the altercation with Tara, himself, and that hag.

Whatever they had been talking about, he was not to find out, however. When he was within ten or so feet of them, C.J. was the first to notice his presence and abruptly broke off whatever she'd been saying. She turned her head to look at him, acknowledging his presence with a short nod. Jeff turned around in his chair to give the other man a glance.

"Hey, man," Jeff said.

"Hey," Ron returned. Looking to C.J., he said, "You might wanna go check on your girl."

C.J.'s eyes filled with concern as she looked at Ron as he explained what had just happened. She got up from the table instantly once he was done and made a bee-line for the women's bathroom. Ron watched her as she walked away, feeling some small sense of admiration for the way she took care of Tara even as he remained suspicious of what she and Jeff had been discussing when they had been alone. Well, as alone as they could be in a crowded restaurant. But really, with only the two of them at the table, it wasn't hard to prevent themselves from being overheard.

Ron glanced at Jeff, who had also been watching C.J. walk away, though with a look of intense concentration on his face. His sense of suspicion in regards to what the two of them had been discussing was reinforced. C.J. seemed like a genuinely nice woman, which confused him. With as wonderful as she seemed, he couldn't reconcile that with the suspicion he had of there being more between her and Jeff than mere friendship.

* * *

C.J. walked into the women's bathroom, hearing but not seeing Tara crying. The young teenager seemed unaware of another presence in the bathroom because she did nothing to stifle her sobs.

C.J. bent down quickly to check which stall Tara was in as well as to assure herself that they were alone.

As she stood, C.J. walked to the last stall – the only one she'd spotted feet in. As she reached it, she tapped on the door a few times with her knuckles.

"Hey, Tara. How you doing in there?"

Tara could only continue to sob. She sounded like she actually tried to speak but was so choked up emotionally that she quickly gave up in the attempt.

"I heard what happened," C.J. said, trying to keep her voice calm while speaking just loud enough for Tara to hear her. It was a tactic that usually worked in helping the other person to calm down faster, if only to hear what was being said properly.

"That woman was just a mean, stupid cow," C.J. added as she leaned against the wall next to the stall door.

"People like that, they just aren't happy unless they're making someone else miserable. They hold themselves so high that they make it virtually impossible for anyone else to measure up. Then they make sure to drive that point home to you in any way they see fit."

Inside the stall, Tara listened to C.J. talk as she continued to try to bring her wayward emotions under control.

"People like that who hurt you aren't worth thinking about. They aren't worth your time or energy or even your emotions. Because that's how they continue to get you after they've struck and left – by draining you until they're all you can think about, until you become consumed by them, often with the need for revenge. And then you become just like them." She fell silent, allowing her words a chance to sink in with Tara.

A few minutes passed as Tara brought her sobbing under control, considering at the same time what C.J. had said to her.

"So d-did someone e-ever hurt you?" Tara's question was punctuated with a watery hiccup.

C.J. took a deep breath and let her head fall back against the wall behind her. To the girls under her roof, she'd made no secret of the fact that she'd once been in their situation. At least as far as being pregnant and having lived in a group home, that is. She'd never shared one particularly important detail with any of them before now – the identity of her child's father.

While allowing the girls in her care to know of certain details about her past had helped C.J. in getting them to be more open with her and willing to accept the help she was offering, there were certain things – this being one of them – that she'd been utterly reluctant to divulge.

Tara's crying – aside from a few stray tears – had almost ceased completely as she waited for C.J. to say something, anything. She waited so long that she would have began to wonder if C.J. was still just on the other side of the stall door if it wasn't for the fact that she could see the woman's feet within the gap between the bottom of the stall door and the floor.

"My step-father."

Tara managed – though just barely – to swallow the "What?" that had been about to escape her mouth upon remembering her question. The shock she felt at C.J.'s admittance shot all the way down to her feet and made her toes tingle. Before she knew what she was doing, she was on her feet and unlocking the door.

C.J. looked up from the floor as the door opened and Tara's face timidly peeked through the opening.

"Hey," Tara said quietly.

"Hey," C.J. said, copying her.

There was much on both of their minds in that moment, much that both of them still wanted to say, yet when Tara walked out of that stall and into C.J.'s waiting arms, none of it seemed to matter. All that existed in that moment was the two of them, clinging to each other in the midst of the bond they were forging through friendship and revelation.

* * *

Following the emotional scene in the bathroom , C.J. decided it was best for her and Tara to leave. They said their good-byes to Jeff and Ron – with C.J. giving Jeff a meaningful glance as she told him she'd see him later – then walked back to where C.J. had parked her car and drove back to the group home.

* * *

Jeff stood staring at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. He'd showered and shaved – clearing his arm pits and touching up the patterns in his beard – then gotten dressed in cargo pants and his Washington Wizards basketball jersey. The jersey was his favorite one of the dozens that he owned and some small part of him had hoped that the familiarity would calm his nerves. But judging from his elevated heart beat and the way he was breathing, that had been a futile thought.

Yet Jeff was still looking forward to seeing C.J. later, despite his nervousness. He knew he really needed to talk to someone and she was the best one to do that with. He wasn't ready to have everyone know his business yet, didn't want to hear the lectures that would come with it, and C.J. would keep what he said confidential. She'd promised him that and he had trust in her that she'd keep her word.

That wasn't to say that he didn't expect her to go straight to his brother or dad if he told her something outrageous like he was thinking about hurting himself or that his actions could lead to someone else being badly injured in some way, but otherwise she kept strict confidentiality on what she was told.

Quickly growing tired of looking at his reflection, Jeff averted his eyes as he picked up his brush and quickly ran it through his hair several times, then tied it back with an elastic. He turned off the light as he left the bathroom, heading for his bedroom next.

Jeff collected his keys and wallet from the top of his dresser, then just as he started to turn to go, he felt himself held in place as though in the grip of an invisible force. His eyes were drawn to **that** drawer and he found his right hand reaching for the handle and pulling, almost of its own volition. He hesitated a moment, starting at the very spot where he knew to be hidden a particular pair of bright orange socks. Then his hand dove into the drawer, pushing normal pairs of white or black socks out of the way to retrieve the very pair he sought. Upon spotting the very socks he was looking for, he picked them up and shoved them in a pocket in his cargo pants before leaving the room, finally ready to go meet up with C.J.

* * *

When Jeff got to Shannon's house, he found that C.J. had already arrived and made herself comfortable in the kitchen. She'd assembled two small trays of food – one of several different sliced fruits and the other an assortment of cheese and crackers – and was in the middle of pouring herself a cup of coffee from the pot she'd made as he entered without knocking.

"Want some?" C.J. asked, indicating the coffee pot.

"Sure," Jeff replied with a small nod.

C.J. grabbed a second mug from the cupboard and poured some coffee for him, fixing it the way he liked it. After she set it in front of him, she added some sugar to her own cup and gave it a few stirs. Once she was done with that, she grabbed one of the plates and walked into the living room. Jeff took the hint, grabbing the other plate and following her.

There was an awkward moment of silence – at least for Jeff – as they got settled in the living room; C.J. taking one end of the couch while Jeff chose to sit in the recliner, leaning forward in it with his forearms resting on his legs. C.J. was content to wait quietly until Jeff had figured out what he wanted to say and where he was going to start.

"How's Tara?" Jeff asked.

C.J. recognized this for the delaying tactic that it was but chose to humor him. To be fair, though, Jeff might actually be concerned for the girl, but he also didn't appear to be ready to talk about what was bothering him.

"She's not in the best form of mind right now after what happened but she'll be alright. She just has some stuff she has to work through and that encounter at the restaurant earlier didn't exactly help."

Jeff nodded. He could certainly understand having 'stuff' to work through. After all, wasn't that partly why he was here right now?

"Maybe you can bring her to my place one day for lunch or something?"

"Seriously?" C.J. asked, wanting to know for sure that Jeff's offer was genuine before she spoke to Tara about it. She didn't want to get the girl's hopes up only to have Jeff turn around and rescind an insincere offer. She didn't honestly think that Jeff would actually do something like that but she also didn't want to take any chances where Tara's emotional well-being was concerned.

"Yeah," Jeff said, nodding again. It seemed to be something of a habit of his when he was nervous.

"Well good, then," C.J. said approvingly. "Just let me know later what day would be good and I'll let her know."

Another nod came from Jeff.

Silence fell again and Jeff shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Jeff, maybe you should just come out with whatever you wanted to say?" C.J. advised when a while had passed and Jeff had seemed no closer to talking about what had brought him here.

Jeff took in a deep breath. Though he had asked C.J. to meet with him privately, he was not-so-secretly dreading talking about what he had come here to discuss. Going on instinct, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the pair of bright orange socks that felt like they'd been burning a hole in his pocket the entire way over here. He hesitated only a moment before he handed them over to C.J.

Knowing that a pair of socks – even being a hideous shade of orange – were not the source of Jeff's troubles, she began to unfold them. When a bag of pot slid out, C.J. was surprised to see it, though not completely. She'd learned of Jeff's previous problem with drugs, which had led to him being released from his WWE contract (though he ended up re-signing with them three years later after proving he was worthy of being given another chance), so for him to risk it happening a second time meant the stress he was under was dire indeed.

"This is... what? Thirty or forty dollars worth of pot?" C.J. asked, studying the bag with what appeared to be a practiced eye.

"Yeah, 'round the middle of that, somewhat," Jeff replied. He wondered what thoughts were running through C.J.'s head at the moment – her expression betrayed nothing but curiosity, which seemed reserved for the contents of the clear plastic baggie at the moment.

"How long have you been hiding this for?" C.J. asked as she set the bag down upon the table. She leaned back against the couch, looking over at Jeff as she did so.

"About a week now." Jeff had trouble meeting C.J.'s gaze. He felt disappointed in himself, he didn't want to see that disappointment mirrored in her face.

"Have you smoked any of it yet?"

Jeff shook his head.

"Why not?"

"Huh?" Jeff asking, looking at C.J. now with surprise.

"You were tempted enough to buy it, I'm just wondering why you haven't used any of it yet."

Jeff hadn't been expecting C.J. to take this kind of tactic in talking with him so it took him a moment or two to adjust and formulate a response.

"I don't know, I guess things haven't gotten bad enough yet for me to take that step. I've been tempted, though, can't say I haven't. Tempted bad, too."

"So what's been holding you back?"

The expression on Jeff's face became one of confusion as he gave the question some serious thought.

"I could lose my job if I get caught. Matt and our dad would be disappointed in me."

"That's all?"

"What?" Jeff asked, looking confused. "I don't understand." In truth, he didn't get why C.J. was talking to him like this.

"I don't say this to be mean, Jeff, but those two reasons alone are a pretty poor basis to keep you motivated into not smoking drugs."

Jeff frowned as opened his mouth to speak but C.J. cut him off before he could say anything.

"Your job, its just a job. Granted, its with the biggest company in the industry, but there are other companies that would love to take you on. You've even said yourself more than once that TNA would love to have you back. And as for your family? If you make a mistake, they'll probably be disappointed in you but they'll still be there for you, especially Matt and your father."

Jeff started to say something before C.J.'s words clicked in. She was right, he had to admit. While he didn't want to disappoint any of his family or get suspended – maybe even fired – from work, if he did smoke pot, he wouldn't lose his family. And while he might lose his job, there were other places where he could go to do the same thing.

Jeff reached for his coffee and took a few sips before placing the mug back on the table. Neither plate of food had been touched yet but he couldn't bring himself to eat yet. He hoped C.J. wouldn't mind his lack of appetite after the effort she'd gone to in preparing everything.

"So why did you smoke before?" C.J. asked. If Jeff could understand the reasons behind why he'd done it before and why he was tempted to do it again, he'd realize why using pot was a futile exercise and the drawbacks far outweighed any benefits to be had.

Jeff stared at his hands as he contemplated his answer. That had been a bad period in his life. Not that now wasn't equally shitty, it was just somewhat different.

"I was trying to do too much," he finally admitted. "I was on the road like seventy percent of the time. When I was home, most of the time I was too tired to do anything. Too tired to write my emoetry or make my aluminummies. Too tired to do any of the stuff that I love to do." It had also left him severely short of time to spend with Beth, but he couldn't bring himself to mention her just yet.

"And you're facing the same problems now as before?" C.J. asked. She sensed that Jeff was holding something back but didn't pry. He'd either tell her or he wouldn't. Either way, she couldn't force him to tell her until he was ready to do so.

"Yeah, sorta," Jeff replied. He finally looked up at C.J. "They're thinking of giving me the championship belt. It'd mean more work – signings, appearances, the works. Basically more of stuff I'm already doing. Its already started – whether or not I actually end up with the title belt, they're starting to give me a push for it."

"So not exactly the best time for you to be asking for a vacation then?" C.J. asked. She shifted her position, tucking her left foot beneath her right leg, which hung down with just her toes touching the floor.

Jeff shook his head, returning to looking at his hands."No. If they knew I was even thinking about asking for a vacation, they'd stop my title run cold. I'm lucky to have gotten this chance, especially only a few years after my 'hiatus'," he said, using a mocking tone for the last word. He had surprised himself for a moment, having replied as though he'd been considering the option of taking a vacation from work when he hadn't actually done so. At least not consciously, anyway.

"Why do you like being a wrestler?"

Jeff looked over at C.J. after she'd asked him the question. "It's what I've always wanted to do, ever since Matt and I watched Wrestlemania four together. There's always been a passion for it in my blood. Most of what I did was to work towards my goal of becoming a wrestler. When I first started jobbing in the WWE – back when it was still the WWF – it was like a dream come true. When I got offered my contract, it felt better than I had ever dreamed it would. I didn't even read the contract – just signed and sent it back. Didn't have to think twice about it."

Most of what Jeff said, C.J. either already knew or had figured out for herself. Yet she let him ramble on anyway, letting him get comfortable as he spoke about his chosen profession.

"Each time I go out in front of a crowd, I fell the same – excitement, a little bit of fear that I might mess up, adrenaline surging through my veins, pride when the fans are cheering for me – yet it never gets old. And people, they look up to me. When I meet fans, I often hear how I've inspired them. Me, just doing what I love to do, inspires other people to make important changes in their lives."

C.J. saw a common thread between, the passion with which Jeff spoke of in regards to wrestling and the distaste and desire he had to smoke the pot he'd bought. It was a small thread, but it was there just the same.

"What do you do just to please yourself?"

"Wrestling," Jeff said, as though the answer were obvious.

"You get a thrill form going out in front of thousands of people, but from the way you were talking about it, it seems to be more about pleasing other people rather than pleasing yourself. Just like your choices in avoiding smoking the pot you purchased."

Jeff felt a flash of irritation at C.J. that crossed his expression in the form of a frown. He'd asked her here so that he could relieve himself verbally of the burden that buying and hiding a bag of pot in his home had caused him, not to have her dissect and examine parts of his life!

But as quickly as the irritation had arrived, it disappeared just as fast. C.J. wasn't some sadistic bitch, he knew that. Her words – however much he might dislike them, especially at this particular moment – were meant to make a person think. What she said wasn't meant to be an answer to any of his problems, rather they were the tools to find the answer within himself.

Taking into consideration what she'd most recently said, he got up from his seat and paced the length of the room, aware that C.J.'s eyes followed him as me moved.

He liked being a wrestler, which pleased other people. He also didn't want to smoke pot because that would please his family and his employers. Other people.

It was all starting to make sense now, in some weird and twisted way. Everything C.J. had said up to this point, while seemingly unrelated, had been meant to bring about some kind of epiphany in himself. He thought back over their conversation thus far.

Commenting on the price of the pot but not condemning him for his ownership of it.

How long he'd had the pot without smoking any of it.

His reasons for not smoking any of it.

His reasons for having smoked before.

The possibility of taking a vacation from work before he went through burn out again.

His reasons for being a wrestler.

_I'm unhappy when I'm not able to be myself._ Jeff paused in his step as the thought came to his mind, unbidden. A frown furrowed his brow as he considered the words.

C.J. watched as Jeff came to a sudden halt, remaining quiet as she watched him thinking. Something had occurred to him – she couldn't say what exactly, but could hope that he'd arrived at the conclusion she'd been trying to lead him to from the start.

A minute, then two, passed while Jeff stood in place and C.J. watched him. Then, almost suddenly, he turned to her and began to speak, almost in an accusatory fashion. "You're trying to tell me that I can't be concerned with what other people think about me? That first I need to be concerned with what I think about myself?"

C.J. nodded, a hint of a smile gracing her lips. He was finally starting to get it.

Jeff began to pace again as he continued to work through things in his head. "While making others happy is a good thing, I need to be happy with myself first. Because... because if I'm too focused on making others happy before myself, then I forget about my own needs and desires."

"Very good," C.J. said, though Jeff appeared to not have heard her.

"So right now I need to think about what's best for myself – not my job or family or friends. Otherwise I'll eventually burn out and give in to temptation. The temptation of drugs. Which wouldn't be good for me or the people that care about me."

C.J. stood as Jeff stopped his pacing once more. He turned to look at her with a dumbfounded expression on his face. She waited.

She didn't have to wait long.

"Damn, girl, you are fuckin' amazin'! How the hell did you do that?"

"Ahhh," C.J. drawled mysteriously. "If I told you that, Mr. Hardy, I'd have to kill you." She smiled as she watched Jeff chuckle, unable to help himself.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: I know it takes me forever to update this thing, but I hope everyone is still enjoying it despite the few weeks that come between each chapter. Hopefully the length makes up for that.**

**As usual, I must offer my thanks to my awesome beta, WandaXmaximoff (ID: 747588). You should check out her stories, they're wonderful. And I'm not just saying that.**

**Hope you all enjoy!**

****Warning, this chapter contains graphic sexual content.****

* * *

A week and a half following Jeff and C.J.'s talk in Shannon's living room, C.J. was in her office at Loving Arms preparing Meredith for her absence. Though she generally spent half the week with Shannon anyway, this time she wouldn't be just a convenient ten minute car drive away if something came up.

"There are only three girls that have appointments with Patricia this week," C.J. said as she pulled up her schedule for the group home on the computer. "Two of them tomorrow and another in three days. Unfortunately, as you can see, the appointments tomorrow are five hours apart. I couldn't schedule them any closer together than that. Patricia warned me that December is always hectic for her because a lot of couples are going away for vacation or to visit families so they want to be seen by her before they go."

Meredith nodded to show that she was following along with what was being said. Having to make two trips tomorrow was irritating to say the least but nothing she couldn't handle. If that was the least of her problems while C.J. was away, then things would run pretty smoothly.

"Kelly has been complaining about cramping lately. Patricia said her cervix is thinning and to expect her to go into labor within the next few days to a week."

Also not something to worry about, unless Kelly had unexpected complications during delivery. But there was no point in worrying about that unless it actually happened.

C.J. continued to go over the schedule and any details she felt were important for Merry to know.

* * *

Tara sat on the top step of the front porch of the group home. Her diary rested in her lap, open to the current page she was writing on. She'd had it less than two weeks and already she'd filled at least fifty pages. But then she'd had a lot to get off her mind. Over the days since she'd been given the book, she'd taken to documenting her life a bit at a time when she wrote in it. Her early years hadn't been given much attention with the exception of her mother, Matilda.

Matilda – or Tilly, as Tara remembered what people had called her – had always been a warm and caring woman, full of grace and beauty and having possessed an endless supply of patience and love. Even when she'd begun to fall ill and had started spending days or weeks at a time in the hospital, she had continued to remain her usual emphatic self.

Though as time drew on and each stay in the hospital grew longer than the one that came before it, Tilly's strength had slowly left her, leaving her a shell of her former self.

Finally, mercifully, after a long lingering and cripplingly painful disease, Tilly had passed away in a drug-induced sleep.

It had been a harsh tragedy to suffer for a girl barely turned eleven. Not only had she lost her mother at a point in her life when she had needed her the most, but her father had begun to change too.

To be truthful, the change within Viktor Nikolin had been a slowly building process which had begun at some point during his wife's lengthy illness. He'd transformed into a marsh man devoid of compassion and full of anger. He'd taken to striking Tara with little or no provocation, and often no warning. Following his wife's death, Viktor's physical violence against Tara began to escalate, eventually evolving to include sexual violence.

Tara had tried to escape a few times but she'd always been caught and returned to face severe punishment. After four failed attempts, Tara had given up trying to run away. What she faced staying at home was better – though only marginally so – than the harsh beatings she faced each time she was caught.

But then she'd become pregnant. Which in itself was not a surprise, considering that her father had never once used a condom when he was forcing himself on her. It was still a shock to her system, nevertheless.

Though Tara's most fervent wish had been to never have gotten pregnant in the first place, it was something unlikely to change. Viktor, once he'd known about the baby, had been careful not to injure her in any way that could cause her to lose the baby.

An innocent life, regardless of how it had been created, did not deserve to be brought into the life that Tara led. So she'd waited, planned, bided her time.

For months, she'd hoarded every cent she could lay her hands on, hiding it all below the loose floor board in her room. She'd also managed to save her mother's sleeping pills from being thrown out after her death. Originally intending to use them in a possible suicide attempt, she'd found another purpose for them; crushing them into a powder and slipping a bit at a time into the beers she'd served her father during a football game on TV.

Once he'd passed out, she'd called a cab to take her to the nearest bus station and had gotten a ticket on the first bus leaving town.

The sound of a car door slamming brought Tara out of her trance. A jolt of fear shot through her, having been caught unaware by the noise, and she looked up quickly.

The man was of roughly average height with broad shoulders, thick arms, and blond hair with black panels. Though Tara had never met him before, there was something familiar about him.

As he approached the steps, he noticed Tara sitting there. He stopped to give her a smile and a nod before starting up the steps.

It was at the man smiled that Tara suddenly remembered where she'd seen his face before – in C.J.'s office, a framed photo of the woman with this man.

"Hey, you're Shannon, right?"

Shannon stopped suddenly as he heard his name being spoken by the girl sitting on the steps to the far side. "Yeah, I am," he said. Some force possessed him to turn back and take a seat on the steps – near the girl but not extremely close.

Tara closed her diary and set it on the steps next to her, then focused her attention on the man sitting beside her. In truth, she felt a little nervous to have him so close to her – not only because of his bulk, which appeared to be entirely muscle, but also because she feared C.J.'s disapproval for her taking the initiative in speaking with the woman's boyfriend.

"So can I ask what your name is?" Shannon questioned politely. He knew that some of the girls here would prefer not to share their identities, which was why he'd asked for permission rather than flat out asking her what her name was.

She nodded. "I'm Tara."

Something clicked in Shannon's head as he realized that he was speaking with the very girl that had been at the root of C.J.'s break down a week and a half ago. The very same girl she had likened to herself around the same age.

"Nice to meet you," Shannon said, extending a hand for her to shake.

Tara tentatively placed her hand in Shannon's and shook it briefly before withdrawing it and placing it in her lap. Despite her juvenile crush on Jeff, she normally had a problem being around men, especially big guys like Shannon, whom she'd have no chance of defending herself against if they decided to attack her. But C.J. had spoken of Shannon so warmly that she made a concentrated effort to be polite to him and not run into the group home to hide.

Shannon knew Tara was feeling timid but didn't call attention to it, sensing that would only make her feel worse. Instead, he tried to put her at ease by talking with her.

"So, you... uh... like it here?" Shannon asked, meaning the group home.

Tara nodded quickly. "Yeah, its great. The other girls have been nice to me, and Miss C.J. is just awesome."

"Well that's great," Shannon replied, then as silence fell over them, he wondered what else he could talk about with her.

"So you're a wrestler, huh?" Tara asked. She still felt nervous with a strong man like Shannon so close to her, but he was important to C.J. so Tara was interested in learning more about him.

"Yep. You watch?" Shannon asked as he raised his knee, resting a forearm atop it.

"No," Tara replied. "I never watched much TV before I came here and then it wasn't until the day after TNT-"

Shannon hid his smile, not bothering to correct the girl's mistake.

"-that I heard some of them talking about you. Then the last time it was on, I didn't sleep well the night before so I ended up going to bed early that night." She slid her hands over the legs of her jeans, brushing away imaginary lint so that she wouldn't have to look directly at Shannon. She was a little embarrassed about why she'd been up all night – the baby had shifted position to press on her bladder, so she'd been up practically every half hour to go to the bathroom – and she didn't want to explain that to Shannon.

Truthfully, Tara would prefer not to do anything that would call attention to her pregnancy, come to think of it. It was obvious she was pregnant just from looking at her, but why remind anyone of that fact?

"Most people either love wrestling or hate it," Shannon commented. Though, really, the same could be said about a lot of things; opera, spinach, cheese... It was more an attempt to keep the conversation going than anything else.

"So what's it like being on TV?" Tara asked, looking at Shannon curiously.

Shanon smiled – here was a topic he could warm up to and speak of for a while without sounding boring. "Well..." he began.

* * *

When Shannon hadn't shown up by 10 am – the time they'd agreed on for him to pick her up by – C.J. grabbed her suitcase and shoulder bag and started for the front porch. He was late for some reason so she wanted to be ready for when he did arrive.

As C.J. opened the front door, however, it was to find Shanon already here and deep in conversation with Tara.

"... gold face paint and black lines-" Shannon broke off from his explanation as he heard the soft creak of the door opening behind him and turned to look over his shoulder at C.J., grinning at her unrepentantly.

"You're late," she said with a soft giggle.

"No, I'm not," Shannon argued, his smile growing. "I got here on time – early, even – I've just been out here waiting for you."

Tara silently watched the joyous interaction between the couple, envious of the easy way in which they joked with each other. It reminded her of how her parents had used to be with each other years ago, before her mom had become sick. She felt tears start to burn behind her eyes and hastily began to blink them away, turning away from C.J. and Shannon to gather her things to further conceal her moment of emotional distress.

C.J. came through the doorway and set her suitcase on the porch before turning to close the door behind her. When she turned back, Shannon was already n his feet and approaching her. He dropped a kiss on her lips before reaching for her suitcase and picking it up.

"Hey, see you later, kid," Shannon said as he passed Tara, offering her a brief wave and another smile.

Tara, who'd looked back as he spoke to her, offered him a silent nod in reply. A moment later she found herself in the warm embrace of C.J.'s arms as the woman herself sat directly beside her.

"Take care, ok, sweetie?" C.J. said as she pulled back slightly, her hands still on Tara's shoulders.

Tara nodded. "Okay," she said quietly.

C.J. looked at Tara with kindness and a sense of affection. She'd grown closer to the girl in the time since she'd arrived at the group home, forming a bond that didn't exist between her and any of the other girls here.

"See you in a few days," Tara added a moment later.

C.J. pressed a kiss to Tara's forehead, then tenderly stroked her hair a few times.

Shannon reached the car and stowed C.J.'s suitcase in the trunk next to his own and shut the lid before turning back in time to catch the tender moment pass between C.J. and Tara. He waited quietly as they said their good-byes and C.J. got to her feet and started walking towards his car.

Wordlessly, she got in the car, shut the door, and buckled her seat belt. Shannon did the same, settling behind the steering wheel. He started the car and drove out of the parking lot, aware that C.J. continued to glance back at the group home – or, more specifically, Tara – until unable to see either as they left the long driveway.

C.J. let out a soft sigh and Shannon quickly glanced at her before returning his eyes to the road.

"Everything okay, Princess?" he asked.

"Yes... No. I'm worried about Tara," she said, sounding somewhat distracted.

"Any particular reason?" Shannon asked, silently wishing that he wasn't driving so that he could have a direct view of C.J.'s gorgeous eyes.

"Somewhat," C.J. admitted. "I'm worried about her father coming to find her, even though the longer time goes on, the less likely a possibility that seems. I don't know what I'm going to do if he ever does show up there."

C.J. looked out the window, feeling distracted by her thoughts and worries over Tara, when Shannon's right hand covered her left one, resting on her lap. She looked over at him and smiled, even though his gaze remained on the road.

"You know I'll help any way I can. She can stay at my house for a while if that asshole does show up."

"That's very sweet of you, Shannon, but unfortunately not a good idea. It won't be difficult to figure out our connection with each other and your place would end up being first on the list to search for Tara after the group home."

Shannon nodded, understanding what C.J. was saying though no less disappointed that his offer of help was basically useless to her.

C.J. moved her hand from under Shannon's hand to over the top of it, giving it a squeeze.

"I appreciate you wanting to help, though. You know that, right?" C.J. asked, worried that she had offended the man she loved.

"Yeah," Shannon replied, rubbing his hand over her leg. He stopped the car at a red light and took advantage of the moment to lean over and kiss C.J. It was brief because of their location and the amount of time left before the light changed again, but no less enjoyed by the participants.

"We'll figure something out," Shannon promised as he pulled back.

C.J. opened her mouth to protest but immediately found Shannon's fingers pressed against her lips.

"I know you feel like you should be handling this alone, to protect everyone around you, but we – I – am going to be here to help you in any way that I can."

C.J. kissed the tips of Shannon's fingers. "Stubborn man," she said affectionately.

A car horn blared sharply from behind them, cutting off anything either of them might have said next. Shannon stepped on the gas and drove the car through the intersection.

~*~*~*~*

Less than two hours later, they were settled on the plane and in the air, on their way to their destination.

Shannon sat in the window seat perusing a car magazine, just passing the time. The flight was only supposed to last an hour so he hadn't brought anything more substantial. Though for a while he pretended to be unaware of it, he was acutely conscious of the fact that C.J. was fidgeting in her seat beside him.

Oh, not enough to make most people aware of it, but he knew her well enough that he could tell from the signs – glancing over her shoulder and checking the watch on her wrist to name just a few – that she was nervous about something.

Not knowing if she wanted his help or not, he'd waited for her to say something. When she continued to carry on in this manner silently, however, at about fifteen minutes into the flight he lowered his magazine and looked over at her.

"You okay, Princess? You seem a little anxious about something."

C.J. let out a little sigh and turned her head so she could smile at Shannon. "I'm fine, really," she said, trying to reassure him. She stared at him a moment, the smile slowly slipping off her face as she came to a decision within herself. She took a deep breath, then let it out slowly.

"I'm going to go to the bathroom," C.J. said, leaning forward to kiss Shannon. He bent his head to meet her half way, their lips touching over the arm rest.

Before C.J. lost her nerve – and praying at the same time that no one would see what she was about to do – she slid her hand over Shannon's jeans-covered crotch and gave him a firm squeeze.

Not expecting C.J. to touch him so intimately, he gasped into her mouth. He felt her lips pull up into a smile a moment before she slowly pulled back.

C.J. couldn't resist smirking as she saw that Shannon's eyes – which were gazing intently at her face – were already becoming heavy-lidded with desire.

"See you in two minutes?" she asked softly, not surprised to see him nod eagerly in reply, and without hesitation.

After on last quick kiss, C.J. got up out of her seat and walked to the bathroom, leaving Shannon with his mind and his heart racing.

The longest two minutes of his life passed before Shannon was able to stand and follow his lover to the bathroom area. He was a little surprised that C.J. had been the one to initiate this little rendezvous. Not that she wasn't adventurous where their sex life was concerned, but for her to come up with something like this, it usually required a few drinks on her part to work up the courage.

Back in the bathroom area, Shannon saw that two of the four stalls were occupied. Having no way to know which of the two bathrooms C.J. was in, he coughed loudly to signal his presence.

A few seconds later the door to one of the occupied stalls opened and he spied C.J. in the small opening. He glanced quickly in the direction he'd come from to make sure that he wasn't being watched before he stepped forward and slipped through the doorway and into C.J.'s embrace.

As their mouths met, tongues duelling fiercely with desire, Shannon pulled the door shut behind him and locked it with one hand, the other already working itself beneath C.J.'s shirt.

C.J.'s hands groped at Shannon's chest, her fingers flexing against the fabric and muscle concealed beneath.

They parted as Shannon drew C.J.'s shirt over her head, then immediately went back to kissing each other. Shannon's hands undid the front clasp of C.J.'s bra, then began to caress her nipples with his fingers, knowing by memory how she liked to be touched there.

C.J. nipped gently at Shannon's lower lip while her hands slid down his chest and over his stomach to his belt, which she immediately began to unbuckle. Normally she liked to take her time with undressing Shannon, teasing him as she went, but joining the Mile High Club was not an activity conducive to taking your time on. It was about sex, pure and simple. To reach an orgasm in as little time and as quietly as possible in order to avoid being caught.

Shanon bit back a groan as he felt C.J.'s hot little hands wrap around his penis and begin to stroke him. In retaliation – and also because he liked to tease her – he began to rub a hand over her mound, stroking firmly against the fabric of her jeans.

Shannon's action had its desired effect – C.J. closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against his shoulder, panting and clearly affected by what he was doing.

Knowing that they needed to move things along before they were discovered, Shannon pulled his hand away from its task to aid the other in unzipping her jeans and pushing them down over her hips.

C.J. placed one hand on the counter and the other on Shannon's shoulder as he knelt before her in the cramped confines of the bathroom, pulling her jeans and panties down her legs. In very little time at all, she was standing in only white socks with her bra hanging off her shoulders. Still kneeling on the floor in front of C.J., Shannon maneuvered her by his grip on her hips to lean against the sink counter. He spread her legs, prying apart her pussy lips with his fingers. His tongue darted out, teasingly flicking against her dampening folds.

C.J. bit her lower lip between her teeth as Shannon's talented tongue began to work her into a frenzy of desire. One hand moved to the back of Shannon's head, urging him on, while the other she continued to use to steady herself by gripping the edge of the counter. She clenched her teeth to hold back the cries of passion that her throat was longing to make.

Feeling the rush of her approaching orgasm, C.J. pushed Shannon off her and urged him to his feet. She took the time to wipe some of her juices from his face with her thumb before she kissed him passionately. While her tongue stroked the insides of his mouth, her hand slid between them to stroke the erection straining against her belly.

Shannon was more than ready, it appeared – or felt, rather – but she wanted to return the favor. Once she had Shannon leaning up against the counter, she sank to her knees and reached for his stiff, swollen penis.

Shannon watched as C.J.'s left hand cupped his balls while her right one encircled the base of his shaft. She took the head of his penis into her mouth and he felt his hips jerk in response. Hissing, he gripped the edge of the counter with both hands. He felt like a fire was spreading through his body, a fire that had entered his system directly from C.J.'s mouth.

C.J. used her hands and mouth to pleasure Shannon. Her mouth took in every inch of his erection that she could manage while her hands took care of the rest; fondling his balls and stroking the length of his shaft that she couldn't fit in her mouth.

As much as she'd tried in the past, C.J. just couldn't suppress her gag reflex to be able to deep throat Shannon. Not that he really minded, though. With everything else they were still able to do in the bedroom – or anywhere else they fancied; current location a prime example – the loss of one thing off of that long, long list didn't phase him in the slightest.

C.J. pulled her mouth off of Shannon's penis and flicked her tongue against the head a few times before leaning in to kiss his stomach. She stood slowly, kissing her way up his stomach as she went until she reached his mouth. Shannon's hands slid around to cup her ass and pull her up against him as they kissed.

Shannon turned them around and sat C.J. on the counter top, his hands spreading her legs. She held onto his shoulders as he tucked his head in against the side of her neck. As his mouth nuzzled the skin just below her left ear, his right hand settled on her hips while his left dipped between her legs. Two fingers slid into her vagina while his thumb began to circle her clit.

C.J. gasped, unable to contain the sound. "You're driving me crazy," she whispered to him. "I need you, Shannon. Please," she begged.

Desire rose even further in Shannon at her words; something that he wouldn't have thought possible a few moments ago.

"Don't worry, baby," Shannon said, moving his lips to speak directly into her ear. "I'll take good care of you."

C.J. trembled at his words, knowing them to be true. Barring an untimely interruption, Shannon always made sure that she was left well-satisfied.

Shannon backed far enough away from C.J. to pull her off the counter and turn her body to face the mirror. He bent her forward at the waist until her hands came to rest on the counter top.

C.J.'s eyes drifted shut as she felt Shannon settle behind her, sighing happily as she felt the head of his penis brush against the back of her thighs. Shannon pulled his shirt off and let it drop to the floor. He put his hands on her hips and leaned against her back, being careful not to rest his full weight upon her.

"Open your eyes, beautiful," Shannon whispered directly into C.J.'s ear.

As C.J.'s eyelids rose, she looked into the mirror. It was plain – surrounded by a simple frame and rectangular in shape. If she were to stand up straight, the bottom of the mirror would come to a few inches below her breasts. Leaning forward like she was now, she was able to see down to the very edge of the counter.

It wasn't that point which held her interest, however, but Shannon's eyes meeting hers in the reflection.

Shannon's eyes watched C.J.'s as he nipped at the lobe of her ear, then sucked on it lightly.

"You are so fucking beautiful," he whispered, placing emphasis on the word 'fucking' by bucking his hips against her, which pushed his penis between her legs. He could feel the goosebumps rise along her flesh where he pressed against her.

"So are you," C.J. managed to get out, wondering at the same time how she was able to talk when Shannon had turned her brain to mush and her legs to jelly.

Shannon smiled. "Not like you, Princess. You're beautiful everywhere, even here." As he spoke, his right hand slid past her hip and down over her pubic bone, his fingers delving between her now slick folds.

C.J. bit down on her lower lip, holding back the gasps and moans that were becoming desperate to escape. Though she'd initiated what was happening here, Shannon was clearly the one in charge.

Shannon withdrew his hand from between C.J.'s legs and slid it between them to grip his aching, swollen penis and guide it to her opening.

As the head of Shannon's penis began to enter her, C.J. fought to keep her eyes open. Now more than ever staying silent became more difficult.

Once the first few inches were inside, Shannon moved his hand out of the way and placed it on C.J.'s hip. He pressed forward until he'd slid in as deeply as he could go, then stopped to give himself a moment to regain some of his control. Being with C.J. – inside her like he was now – made him feel crazy with lust. Making love to her was never boring or dull and he knew somehow that no matter how long they were together, this would never change between them.

"That is some sweet pussy, baby," Shannon whispered hotly. He grunted softly as the muscles in C.J.'s vagina rippled around him, making him want to cum on the spot.

"That's what I'm talking about," he continued as he began to thrust in and pull out, only to thrust in again. "You make me wanna cum like some horny teen getting his first piece."

C.J. whimpered. Shannon had the ability to drive her crazy with need, often with very little effort on his part. An ability which he put to use quite frequently – not that she was complaining, mind you.

"I love you."

Neither of them was sure which had been the one to speak the words – perhaps it had even been a simultaneous declaration – but the words were strongly felt by both of them.

Shannon straightened to improve his range of motion for thrusting and began to increase his pace and force.

C.J. began to make noises – small whimpers and cries – unable to stop herself. She could only control herself to a point and Shannon was quickly pushing her over the line.

Shannon's left hand covered C.J.'s mouth when the noises she was making began to slowly escalate in volume. He continued to thrust away, feeling a familiar tingling behind his balls.

He stopped moving suddenly when he heard the voices of at least two people – probably stewardesses – passing by the door.

The voices quickly faded but Shannon remained still despite the way that C.J. wiggled and her flesh throbbed with need, pulsing around him. He pulled out of her despite her protests and released her. He moved over to the toilet and lowered the seat, then turned to sit on it.

C.J. began to straddle Shannon the moment he was seated on the toilet. His penis slid back into her easily and his hands grabbed her ass, helping her to establish a rhythm that was mutually satisfying. Their mouths sought out and found each other, kissing and stifling the sounds of pleasure they could no longer deny.

C.J. loved the way her breasts felt rubbing up and down Shannon's chest. Though this part of Shannon looked hairless, there was actually a very fine layer of fuzz that was practically invisible and yet provided a delicious friction against her nipples that made her squeeze to her utmost, practically strangling his penis.

Shannon grunted, the sound flowing into C.J.'s mouth. His hands urged her into an even faster pace. He became desperate to end things, knowing it wouldn't be long before he'd be shouting his pleasure for everyone on this plane to hear. He moved a hand between their bodies, breaking the kiss and leaning away from C.J. to give him room to play with her clit. He rubbed it furiously with the tips of his fingers, determined to drive her over the edge before he exploded.

Teeth clenched, lips pressed together, eyes tightly shut, C.J. rocketed through an intense orgasm. Her body spasmed and jerked, barely noticing when Shannon erupted within her. She fell forward against his neck.

Shannon ran his hands slowly over C.J.'s back, taking deep breaths to calm his racing heart. He thought in a bemused fashion that if the physical side of their relationship grew any more intense than it already was, he'd die with a smile permanently stuck to his face. The image of him laying in a coffin and flashing his teeth in a wide grin had him laughing softly as C.J. regained her breath.

* * *

"So who's supposed to be meeting us?" Shannon asked C.J. as they walked off the plane less than an hour later.

"My Aunt Pamela," C.J. replied. "She'll insist you call her Pam, but she prefers that people address her by her full first name when she meets them," C.J. advised.

Shannon nodded, wondering at the same time what it might mean if she didn't insist he call her Pam. He worried it would be a bad omen that would haunt him for the entire length of his stay and possibly any future times he would be around the older woman.

"Uncle Donald is pretty much the same way," C.J. said a moment later. "About his name, I mean. He might take a little longer to make the same insistence, but that's just because he likes to reserve judgment until he's sure about someone."

Shanon nodded again. Something about his expression must have given away some of his inner feelings because the next thing he knew, C.J. stopped him and turned him to face her.

"You have nothing to worry about," C.J. said, trying her best to sound reassuring. She raised her right hand to cup the side of his face. "They are going to love you." She smiled and slid her hand to the back of his head, urging him closer for a kiss.

Shannon went willingly, his lips meeting hers without concern for the other passengers leaving the plane that had to walk around them.

"Auntie C.J.!" A shrill young voice yelled from somewhere in the crowd, causing C.J. and Shannon to break apart abruptly.

C.J. began scanning the crowd, easily catching sight of a young boy with dark brown hair racing right for her, dodging around the taller adults in his path.

"Riley," said said, a smile appearing on her face.

Seconds later the almost-birthday boy was launching himself at C.J., forcing her back a few steps from his momentum even as his arms were wrapping tightly around her middle.

Shannon moved a few steps away – not too far, but enough to give them a bit more privacy for their reunion.

"What are you doing out of school, Riley?" C.J. asked, pulling back slightly to look down into his brightly smiling face as she lovingly ruffled the boy's short dark brown hair.

"Hey!" Riley protested, pulling away to run his fingers through his hair, trying to straighten it back to its previous state.

"I managed to talk Mom and Dad into letting me out of school early today so that I could be here to meet you."

Shannon suddenly found himself the object of scrutiny when Riley remembered that his Aunt had brought a guest with her and turned to face him.

"That's him?" Riley asked, looking at Shannon. His expression betrayed neither joy or displeasure at coming face to face with the new man in his Aunt's life.

Shannon wondered from the boy's tone of voice if he was impressed or intimidated by him. Or even if it might be some third unknown option.. He was a little too nervous at the moment to try and decipher the boy's feelings.

"Yep," C.J. said happily as she moved to hug Riley from behind. "This is Shannon. Shannon, this is Riley." She smiled at Shannon, though inwardly she was a little nervous too. Despite Shannon's protests to the contrary, she was worried that he wouldn't deal well with meeting her biological child. Even knowing in her head that Shannon was a good man, a man whom her family would love if for no other reason than she herself loved him, her heart couldn't help but pang with worry over this first most important meeting.

But as usual, Shannon wouldn't let her down.

Riley walked forward out of C.J.'s embrace and went to stand directly in front of Shannon. "Nice to meet you, sir," he said politely, holding his hand out for Shannon to shake.

"Likewise," Shannon replied, placing his large hand in Riley's smaller one.

As the two shook hands, Shannon took this brief chance to examine Riley's features. Apart from him having C.J.'s eyes and a similarly-shaped nose, if she hadn't told him that she'd given birth to this boy, he never would have guessed that she had borne Riley. Obviously, the boy must strongly resemble his biological father, whomever the man had been.

C.J. smiled at the picture that Riley and Shannon made standing there facing each other. She turned away to look for her Aunt, figuring the woman couldn't be too far behind with Riley standing here, and received another surprise when she spotted not only her Aunt Pam, but her Uncle Don as well.

The couple were in their late forties and what one might term 'upper middle class'. Don – who was wearing a beige-colored business suit, which meant he'd most likely just come from the office – co-owned a small chain of home improvement stores. He'd opened his third outlet earlier this year and was proud of his small dynasty. It had ensured that his family would always be provided for – not just his wife and son, but C.J. as well.

Pam had possessed the maiden name of Dawson before marrying Don over twenty-two years ago. They'd been deeply in love and very happy together – still were, in fact. The only serious dark spot in their marriage had been Pam's inability to have children. They'd separated for a time because of her inability to cope with her infertility. It had very nearly broken up their marriage. But they'd managed to overcome it and ended up having a stronger relationship because of it.

C.J.'s arrival into their lives had been a blessing in more ways than one. Not only did they reconnect with the sole offspring of Don's deceased brother, but her unborn child had become their son. She'd had issues that had to be dealt with – which for a time had included professional help – but the effort they'd made had created a solid bond, making all four of them a close-knit family.

Pam was a very kind woman, patient and generous with her time. It was incredibly hard to make her lose her temper, which C.J. knew from experience, after having tested the woman so many times within the first few months after meeting her.

While her husband's business afforded her a life of leisure, she had rarely taken advantage of it – the years from Riley's birth until he'd started school full time being the only instance. Though she didn't hold a normal paying job, she was head chair on a committee that raised funds for various forms of cancer research and occasionally helped out on other worthy charities.

C.J. eagerly embraced Pam and Don, having missed them terribly over the months she'd been away. Since starting up the group home this was the first time she'd been back to see them. Their responsibilities here had prevented them from being able to visit her as well, even during the summer months when Riley wasn't in school.

Shannon looked up from speaking with Riley to see C.J.'s reunions with her Aunt and Uncle. He felt a lead weight drop into the pit of his stomach, knowing that at any second their attention would turn to him. It was only natural, after all – to be curious about other people and their actions.

Introductions would soon be made, opinions formed... Shannon feared – despite C.J.'s assurances to the contrary – that they would hate him, or at least dislike him to a smaller extent. He understood now C.J.'s worry over meeting his friends for the first time. She couldn't help but worry, he remembered, thinking their possible disapproval of her would be detrimental (to say the least) for their relationship.

If C.J.'s family didn't like him – aside from Riley, who had already confided that he thought Shannon was 'cool' - it could spell out eventual doom for their relationship.

As soon as C.J., Pam and Don were finished with greeting each other, all three of them turned to face Shannon.

"Aunt Pam, Uncle Don," C.J. said with a loving tone in her voice as she went to stand beside Shannon, taking his hand in hers as she sensed he could use the support. "This is Shannon Moore, my boyfriend." Lover, to be more accurate, but no sense in stating the obvious, especially with Riley around. She felt Shannon's hand squeeze hers, which she understood to mean that he was grateful for her show of support.

As Pam and Don moved forward, she eased her hand out of his but continued to remain close by.

Don held out his hand first, which Shannon eagerly shook with a firm grip.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet the man that Cynthia has told us so much about," Don said.

Don had understood the reasoning behind C.J. initializing her first two names for profession purposes but refused to address her as such in private social settings such as this one. He thought it unbefitting of his feminine niece, even if she did occasionally possess some tomboy-ish tendencies. But C.J. didn't mind and had never insisted one way or the other on how she wanted her Uncle to address her.

"Guess I am," Shannon said, still feeling a bit nervous despite the smile on the older man's face. Until he knew for sure what Don felt about him, facial expressions like smiling were just a matter of courtesy in his opinion.

Their hands fell apart and Don stepped to the side to allow his wife some room.

"Hello, Shannon," Pam said, greeting him with a warm smile.

"Hello, Pamela," he said, remembering C.J.'s advice from a few minutes ago, and held out his hand.

"It's Pam, dear boy," she said, pushing his hand aside and stepping closer to give him a hug.

Surprised because he hadn't been expecting this, Shannon stood almost frozen for a moment before his brain started working again and his arms rose to return her hug.

Standing near them with Riley next to her, C.J. felt happy. Shannon had her family's approval, whether or not he realized it yet. While Don might later come across as hard on Shannon at times, it was his way of testing the man as well as of informing him that he would be in for a world of hurt in one way or another if he should ever make C.J. unhappy.

With introductions and greetings out of the way, the small group headed to the baggage claim area so that C.J. and Shannon could collect their suitcases before they continued on to where Don had parked his mini van earlier.

* * *

Shannon had to admit he was impressed with Don and Pam's home. While not a multi-million dollar mansion, it sported six bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, a spacious kitchen, a dining room, living room, library and an office for Don – all of which was situated on the first two floors. The basement was a rec room with another half bathroom. The attic – which had previously been used for storage – had been converted into a bedroom for Riley. Pam had overseen the remodelling project the last few months while Don had been working – it was part of their birthday present to Riley, though it had come a few weeks early.

After Shannon had been given a tour of the house, Riley had dragged him outside – with Pam and Don's permission, of course – to see some of the grounds and his tree house in particular.

* * *

C.J. smiled as she stood at the back door, watching Riley pull Shannon away from the house. Riley had really taken to Shannon, giving him the ultimate in an almost ten-year-old boy's praise by proclaiming him to be cool. C.J. thought – and not just because she was in love with him – that if she were a pre-teen in the presence of Shannon Moore, she'd be very excited by his company too.

C.J. turned around as she heard footsteps entering the kitchen.

"So what do you think of him so far?" she asked a bit anxiously, facing her Aunt and Uncle. Their approval of her choice in men was important to her. Moreso because of her feelings for Shanon and the deep down instinct that he was her soulmate, the man she was meant to live the rest of her life with.

"He's not exactly the kind of man I pictured you being with," Don said, looking perfectly serious.

That is, until his wife shoved her elbow into his hip.

Don faked a wince, then his face broke out in a smile.

"What Don was working his way around to saying is that while your young man looks unusual, he seems genuinely in love with you and a good man. As long as he makes you happy and takes good care of you, that's what really matters to us."

C.J. fought with herself not to blush when she randomly thought about just how well Shannon 'took care of' her; the most recent instance being their furious lovemaking in the bathroom of the airplane they'd flown here on.

C.J. moved toward them and embraced them both, resting her forehead against Don's shoulder. "Thank you both," she said, her voice slightly muffled against Don's jacket. "Your approval means the world to me."

* * *

While C.J. was having her moment with her Aunt and Uncle, Riley was busy urging Shannon up the eleven-foot ladder to his tree house. It was a mini replica of the house he lived in, right down to the shingles on the roof – which Shannon suspected might have been left over from the last time Pam and Don had their roof re-shingled. There was a front porch about two feet wide that stretched the length of the treehouse with a railing just over three feet high that went around the entire porch except for a section in the middle where the ladder was attached securely to the edge of the porch.

Riley went first, opening the door ad going inside. It was a short door, meant to accommodate someone more his height than Shannon's, so when Shannon entered the treehouse he was forced to duck. Inside, he was able to stand to his full height, though his head nearly brushed against the arched ceiling.

Most noticeable of the interior, perhaps, was the thick tree limb running vertically through the middle of the tree house. There were several places where it was obvious that smaller branches had sprouted over the years previous to the tree house having been built, which had been trimmed back to only a few inches' length and debarked, each stub providing some handy places to hang things off of.

"So what do you think?" Riley asked, anxiously awaiting Shannon's approval.

Shannon took a quick look around – there were five windows; one on each side of the treehouse and two by the door. The walls were decorated with posters of various shows or movies – _Transformers_, _Cars_, and _Pirates of the Caribbean_ to name a few. There were four bean bag chairs, each a different solid color – red, black, blue and white. A couple plastic milk crates had been spray painted with each of those four colors and turned over to serve as small tables. There was a small garbage can with a lid next to a chest in the far corner. Shannon assumed the chest held at least some of Riley's prized possessions.

"It's awesome," Shannon told Riley. "I wish I had something half as cool when I was younger."

Riley's resultant smile seemed to brighten the room on its own, which told Shannon without words that the boy was ecstatic about his approval.

"Hungry?" Riley asked, going over to the chest and kneeling in front of it.

"Sure," Shannon replied. He wasn't really hungry, but he thought refusing would hurt the boy's feelings.

Riley opened the lid of the chest and held it up with one hand while the other dove into the chest, moving things around. Shannon could hear the crinkle of cellophane wrapping and assumed something cake-like and filled with vanilla creme was about to be produced.

He was proved right as Riley found what he was looking for and came back to Shannon, offering one of two identical packages held in his hands.

"Sno-balls!" Shannon explained, smiling as he held up the package. Inside were two pink cakes, round and shaped like half of a snowball. The outer layer consisted of pink coconut, followed by a marshmallow layer, then chocolate cake and finally vanilla icing in the center.

Riley and Shannon each settled onto a bean bag and tore into their sugar-filled snack cakes, enjoying them in silence save for the crinkle of the wrapping.

"That was good, Riley, thanks," Shannon said when he was done, brushing some crumbs off of his lips.

Riley could only nod in response, his mouth still full of the treat he wasn't supposed to be eating until after dinner.

"You're welcome," he finally said, once he'd swallowed.

It was clear to Shannon that Riley had been taught manners and respect, as well as knowing how to use them.

Shannon started to get up to dispose of his trash but Riley was already on his feet and offering to take it, which Shannon handed over with a brief nod.

"So," Riley began a moment later as he returned to his bean bag. "You're dating my Aunt."

Though it was a statement of fact rather than a question, Shannon responded with a, "Yep."

"She must really like you," Riley said. "She's never brought a guy home to meet me before."

That C.J. had dated in the past came as no surprise to Shannon. At some point – months, if not years – following Riley's birth up to several months before they'd met, Shannon knew that C.J. had dated at least one guy, if not more. That she had never brought anyone home to meet her family before him made him wonder about the total losers she must have dated in the past. But only for a moment as Riley was quick to recapture his attention.

"So did my Aunt tell you about me?" the boy asked, looking right at the man sitting across from him.

"She's spoken about you quite a few times," Shannon admitted while secretly wondering what exactly Riley was trying to get at. - if he was trying to hint at anything at all. He had his suspicions, naturally, but he didn't want to go blurting out to the boy that he knew C.J. had given birth to him. C.J. had never told him if Riley knew she was his biological mother. If Riley had never been told about this, he didn't want to traumatize the boy by being the one to say something about it.

Riley's expression became frustrated. "No, I mean has she told you about me?" he asked again, placing emphasis on the last four words, especially the one indicating himself.

"So you know..." Shannon started to say.

"That Aunt C.J. is really my birth mother? Yeah. As soon as I was old enough to understand, my Mom told me all about it."

Not for the first time Shannon found himself wondering about the man that C.J. had created this boy with. Did Riley know about his biological father?

Shannon knew that he couldn't ask the boy just to satisfy his own curiosity.

"So what do you think about all this?" Shannon asked instead.

"It felt weird at first, knowing," Riley admitted after taking a moment to gather his thoughts. "I mean, finding out how I'd been born came after my dad gave me the sex talk." Riley giggled a little at the word 'sex', as if he were saying a dirty word he knew he wouldn't get caught for.

"It was hard to look at Aunt C.J. for a while after that," Riley admitted once he'd stopped giggling, his expression turning more serious.

"I couldn't understand why she'd given me away. I thought it meant she didn't love me and that she'd been lying all those years before I knew the truth." Riley looked a little ashamed of himself, remembering the horrible things he'd said in anger in the past to a woman – to more than one person, actually – who had never deserved his scorn.

"But you're okay with it now?" Shannon asked, gently prompting Riley to speak when he'd been silent for a long moment.

Riley nodded. "Yeah, I am. Aunt C.J. explained it to me that if was because she loved me that she gave me to my parents to take care of me. She said they could do a much better job than she could, because she was young and still had some growing to do herself."

As he talked, Riley had kept his head down. But now he looked up at Shannon, suddenly curious to know one thing more than anything else in that moment.

"Are you okay with that? Knowing that Aunt C.J. had a baby? Had me?"

"Riley, I'll tell you what I told your Aunt when she first told me about you. Everything in her past – whether good, bad, or somewhere in between – I wouldn't change. Not one second of it. The woman she became, the woman that ended up in Whispering Pines... I might never have met her if it hadn't been for everything in her past happening as it did."

Riley took a minute to absorb what Shannon had said, then popped out another seemingly random question.

"Are you going to marry my Aunt? Because I think it would be cool to have you for an Uncle."

Shannon looked surprised for a moment, then leaned forward.

"Well, Riley, I'll let you in on a little secret..."


	15. Chapter 15

**I want everyone to know that I will not abandon this story. I really enjoy writing for it despite the length it takes me between chapters to get it updated. There will, unfortunately, be another long wait for the next chapter, but with a purpose this time. I am currently trying to make 100 necklaces and bracelets out of hemp by the end of the month. I'm currently working on #34 so I still have a fair bit of a way to go. These are all for a fundraiser event for breast cancer being held at the university my sister attends.  
**

**I never get tired of saying this, but I must offer my thanks to my wonderful beta, ****WandaXmaximoff (ID: 747588). I always love having her look over my chapters and seeing what she has to say after. You should really check out her stories, I'm certain you'll find reading them a great way to spend some time.  
**

* * *

When supper was about ready to be served, C.J. elected to go out to the tree house to collect Riley and Shannon. They'd been gone for a while and she couldn't help but wonder what they'd been doing to fill the time.

As she drew closer to Riley's tree house, the sound of masculine laughter reached her ears – both Riley's and Shannon's. It made her happy to know that they were getting on well together as both of them were important to her. She couldn't imagine her life without either of them in it and hoped she'd never have to find out what it would be like.

"Hello up there!" C.J. called out, standing near the bottom of the ladder. She tilted her head back, using one hand to shield her eyes from the sun's rays.

Above her, the laughter stopped. Then there was a scuffling sound which C.J. could barely make out, followed by the door opening and Riley's head appearing over the top of the ladder.

"Hi, Aunt C.J.! What's up?"

"You are," she replied, smiling when he started laughing at her poor joke.

Shannon appeared next to Riley. "Uh oh, are we in trouble?" He smiled as he asked the question.

"No, I came out because its almost time for supper. So you need to get back to the house and get washed up." She looked at both of them as she said it, though her words had been directed more to Riley than Shannon.

Riley came down the ladder and threw his arms around C.J.'s waist while Shannon took his turn to make his descent.

"I like this guy," Riley whispered for C.J.'s ears alone. "You should keep him." He quickly kissed C.J.'s cheek then smiled at her as he pulled back, before darting off in the direction of the house.

Shannon reached the bottom of the ladder and glanced in Riley's direction before closing the distance between himself and C.J. She turned to him, smiling as she raised her arms and slid them around his neck.

Shannon put his hands on her hips. "Can I get a little dessert before supper?" He asked, smirking.

C.J. giggled. "That is so corny!" She giggled again but still obligingly raised her head.

They took this chance to indulge their desires, knowing there would be few opportunities in the days to come. To set a good example for Riley, they would be sleeping in separate rooms while the stayed here.

"Mmm," C.J. moaned softly, easing back slightly. She looked up at Shannon, an eyebrow arched as she regarded him. "Ok, now why do you taste like chocolate?"

"Uhh... I'm just naturally sweet, I guess," Shannon replied, flashing a wide, innocent grin.

C.J. laughed at the obvious lie. "At least tell me that Riley left enough room in his belly for supper because I know you weren't eating junk food by yourself."

"Yeah, he'll be fine. He only had one," Shannon admitted.

"You're lucky." C.J. rose up to place a chaste kiss on Shannon's lips.

As they parted, his left hand sought her right one and their fingers interlaced. They walked back to the house together, moving at a slower pace than that of Riley's – the boy had already disappeared into the house.

"He's a great kid, you know," Shannon commented after a few moments' silence. "You did really good with him."

"My Aunt and Uncle had more to do with how he turned out than I did," C.J. protested, glancing briefly at Shannon as they continued walking.

"It started with you, though," Shannon insisted. "With your choice to let Riley go. It took a lot of courage to do what you did, the choices you made."

C.J. blushed at Shannon's praise. She didn't see it the way he did, like it had been some noble sacrifice. She'd hated being pregnant, hated the baby inside her. Many times she'd wished the baby would just cease to be. Up until she'd given birth, she'd been determined to sign her rights away and leave the baby to an unknown fate.

But then he'd come out, slid into the doctor's hands, then was flipped over and laid on her chest. The doctor hadn't known she was giving the baby up for adoption, or else he might not have made that move. But the moment that baby boy had looked into her eyes, so much of her anger towards him had just melted away. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she'd sobbed as she'd help him. She'd finally understood that he was truly an innocent and she couldn't expect to lay blame upon him for the sins of his father; her stepfather.

It was also at that point that she'd known she could never give him up completely, but neither was she ready to tackle the difficulties of being a teenage mother. So Pam and Don had become Riley's parents. That choice hadn't been without its problems, but with time it had proven to be the best choice for all involved.

Shannon stopped C.J. in her tracks and tugged her around to face him. He'd seen the thoughtful frown marring her brow and knew she was dwelling negatively on the past.

C.J. looked up at Shannon curiously, wondering why he'd stopped her.

Shannon raised his right hand and stroked his fingertips across her brow. "Stop that right now," he ordered firmly.

"What?" C.J. asked, clearly confused.

"Those thoughts in your head that are telling you that you didn't do good enough or say the right things in the past."

C.J. looked up at Shannon in surprise. "How did you..." she started to ask, then trailed off.

"Because I know you, Princess. You don't get upset or mad often but when you do, its either because one of your girls was mistreated or because you are being too hard on yourself."

C.J. knew Shannon was right. It didn't stop her from being harsh on herself, but she knew he was right. She sighed and leaned toward him, resting her forehead against his chest. But Shannon wouldn't let her hide like that. He tucked his right hand beneath her chin and gently but firmly tilted her head up to meet his gaze.

"Love you," Shannon said with a goofy smile, right before he leaned down to kiss her.

C.J. couldn't help the smile that blossomed on her face just before Shannon's lips pressed against her own. He knew her so well that at times it seemed like he was inside her head. At one point she might have thought this would scare her, but right now it didn't. Instead, it was comforting in a strange way that Shannon knew her so well that he could often guess what she was thinking.

Little did either of them know that they were being watched by the older couple of Pam and Don, who were both smiling at the sight that Shannon and C.J. presented; that of a passionate couple obviously in love.

~*~*~*~*

Meredith ran a brush through her long, dark hair as she gazed at her reflection in the mirror above the bathroom sink. It had been a rough day today – driving two girls to separate appointments several hours apart with the same doctor, a new girl had arrived at the home acting unpleasant as hell and like she was doing the group home a favor just by being there – dealing with her had nearly caused Meredith to be late getting to the second appointment, and her car had broken down on the way back to the group home the second time.

Two hours and several hundred dollars later, Meredith and her young charge were finally on their way.

After the day Meredith had less than enthusiastically experienced, she felt she was due for a little relaxation. So she'd arranged for one of the other three women who worked and lived at the group home to keep an eye on the girls tonight while she went out to a bar. She would take her cellphone just in case – aside from C.J. who wasn't here, she was the only one with power to sign documents regarding the girls, especially in the event of a medical emergency – but she hoped her night wouldn't e interrupted.

And not just because she planned to do more than just a little drinking tonight, either.

This job – this place, even – was what she'd dreamed of doing for years. But even living a dream, there were times when you just needed a break from it all. Tonight was one of those times.

She wore black hip hugger jeans, a dark blue camisole top with silver sequins in the pattern of a large butterfly on the front, and a black silk short waist jacket left open at the front. On her feet were low-heeled slingback sandals in a silver color, showing off her perfectly-shaped toes and manicured nails – painted a coral pink with silver flecks to match the color of her fingernails.

While it wasn't exactly sandal weather with the brisk wind blowing outside, Meredith reasoned that she would only be outside long enough to walk to and from her car. The rest of the time she would be indoors.

After attaching a silver chain with a butterfly pendant around her neck and applying some make up – not much, just some eyeshadow, mascara and lip gloss – she was ready to go.

~*~*~*~*

The club Meredith drove to – Indigo – had been open less than a year but it was extremely popular, seeing a steady stream of customers come through its doors each night since its opening. The interior was decorated in dark blues and black, but was well lit.

There was a well-stocked bar, a kitchen where various foods could be made – hamburgers, nachos, fries and the like – an area for tables and chairs, as well as space for people to play pool and dance if they chose. Located by the dance floor was a stage. Most nights a DJ was set up there to play music for the crowd, but tonight – which Meredith hadn't realized until she'd gotten there – was karaoke night.

It wasn't karaoke as most people would first think of it – someone up on stage singing along with the vocal artist in whatever song they'd chosen. Karaoke at Indigo meant that only your voice would be heard with the instrumental accompaniment. It also meant that there was often more pressure on the performer to do well, since the person on stage would be the only voice the people heard.

Indigo also had two VIP lounges upstairs, which were like smaller versions of the downstairs area. People renting these rooms out for a party had their own bar and bartender to cater to them. Music could either be played by a DJ for an additional fee, or else they could have the same music from downstairs played on speakers set up throughout the room.

As Meredith walked into the club, the music was already blaring – earlier in the evening when people were just starting to come in, the volume was lower. As the crowd grew in size, so did the size of the sound.

Some poor, deluded person was trying to sing to Rammstein's _Ich Will_. Meredith didn't care how many people tried, an English-speaking person just wasn't meant to sing a song written in German.

Trying not to laugh, Meredith made her way over to the bar to order a Rum and Coke. After paying for her drink, she picked it up and turned around, leaning against the bar as she surveyed the crowd.

The man trying to sing in German – a pasty-faced short man with read hair and a Hawaiian shirt – finished his song and walked off the stage to both applause and laughter. It was generally a good-natured crowd that came here – not many people went out of their way to make fun of a person who performed poorly.

The man that went up on stage next instantly caught Meredith's attention.

"Hello, big hunk of dark chocolate," she said in quiet appreciation.

Meredith pushed away from the bar and began to slowly wander over to the dance floor. She sipped her drink as she went, though never took her eyes off of the man on the stage. He was tall – definitely over the six foot mark – with dark brown skin that reminded her roughly of the shade of brownie batter. He wore black cargo pants and a black button-up shirt, with half of the buttons left undone. His black hair was arranged into short dreadlocks.

Too busy admiring the man's looks, she didn't catch what he was saying. The man was warming up the crows before his performance, getting them fired up to hear him. Even as one of Eminem's songs began – which Meredith wouldn't have been able to name for the life of her – and he started making up his own lyrics to the song, all she could take in was the man's incredible beauty. Parts of her body began to ache in longing. She skirted the dance floor, heading for the wall. Something about this man drew her to him like the proverbial moth to an open flame.

She edged along the wall as she moved closer to the stage, her eyes never leaving his body.

_And what a body it is, _she thought.

It was obvious the man took good care of himself. He looked healthy and strong, energetic as well if his performance was anything to go by.

Suddenly he looked her way.

Meredith stopped moving as her heart quickened.

The man missed a beat, then two, as he stared at her before remembering where he was. He got caught up in the beat again a moment later and continued rapping.

Meredith began to blush as the man threw several more glances at her as he continued with the song in his own fashion.

When the music came to an end and as the man was handing the microphone off to the next person amidst applause, Meredith turned around and began to walk away. Some people might question what Meredith was doing and she would have replied that she didn't really know. The man – whoever he was – was interested in her, she was almost certain of it. And she surely found him attractive. So what was her deal?

~*~*~*~*

She was a goddess.

The thought continually ran through Ron's mind from the moment he'd spotted her. Who she was and how she'd come to be here were secondary in his mind. He'd found it incredibly difficult to concentrate on free-styling through the rest of the song when all he wanted to do right in that moment was to jump off the stage and approach her.

It was a strange sensation to be so drawn to another human he'd never met before. It was like a magnet drawing him to her.

So while Ron normally loved music and performing for people, it was actually a relief when the song finally came to an end and he could hand the mic off to someone else. When he turned away to look for the woman again, he knew a moment of panic when she was no longer standing where he'd last seen her.

Ron walked to the edge of the stage and jumped off, his eyes already hunting for his goddess. He soon spotted her heading toward the bar. At least he was sure it was her – there was a hint of dark blue shirt beneath her long mane of flowing hair.

He began to move through the crowd, wading through the sea of people while never taking his eyes off of the woman he was stalking like a predator tracking its prey.

~*~*~*~*

Distracted by considering her strange behavior, Meredith failed to take note of the way the small hairs along the back of her neck rose in response to Ron's nearness. She returned the glass to the bar and ordered another drink. While she stood there waiting, an unexpected voice spoke from directly behind her.

"Hello there, beautiful lady."

It was _him_, she just knew it.

Trying to stop her knees from buckling proved to be a great strain on Meredith, yet somehow she found the strength to not only mange that but what she did next – all without batting an eyelash.

As if it were timed, Meredith's drink was set on the bar in front of her. She dropped the change next to the glass before picking it up and turning around.

"Does that line work on many women?" Meredith asked calmly, raising an eyebrow while lifting her glass to take a sip.

Ron smiled, big and brightly. He found himself hoping that this was a true indication of the woman's personality, because even though only a few words had been exchanged between them so far, he found himself further drawn to this woman for her feisty attitude.

"That wouldn't be very smart of me to tell you," Ron said. "If I was some sort of ladykiller, it wouldn't exactly do me any good to admit to something like that."

Meredith found herself nodding in agreement. Were she at the other end of this conversation, she knew she'd be thinking along similar lines.

"You have a point," she admitted, giving him a hint of a smile. She wasn't exactly a slouch in the height department but she still had to tilt her head back a bit to be able to look him in the eye.

Ron returned the smile, flashing his bright white teeth at her.

Meredith raised her left hand to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear, aware of the way Ron's eyes followed the movement.

"So..." Ron said, his mind casting about for something to say. "You, uh, from around here?"

"Not originally, no. I've been in the area for less than a year." Meredith might have gone on to elaborate about the group home but she couldn't picture this man really being interested in all that. There was always a chance she was wrong, of course, but she didn't want to sound like the kind of woman who talked too much about herself given the least amount of provocation to do so.

"My name's Ron," he said, extending a hand to her.

Meredith automatically placed her hand in Ron's, feeling a frisson of awareness shoot through her system when his fingers curled around her hand and simply held it rather than shook it.

"Are you going to tell me your name?" Ron asked with a smirk on his face when he figured she'd been silent a moment too long.

"I might," Meredith said with a playful tone, not speaking further than those two words.

Ron smiled as he ducked his head, then looked at Meredith again.

"If you're not gonna tell me your name, I'll just have to give you one until you do."

Meredith eyed Ron curiously and without comment as he slid his had from hers and moved it higher. He slipped two fingers beneath the pendant resting in the hollow of her throat and she had to fight with herself to keep her heart beat from racing out of control.

"Butterfly," Ron said simply, enjoying the way that the woman's eyes seemed to be glued to him, gazing intently at his face.

Good. He was interested in her, too. Hopefully he'd end up with her name and number before the night was over.

Ron released Meredith's pendant as the bartender came up to them from behind the bar and ordered a beer.

As Ron made his order, Meredith used the moment of his distraction to take a deep breath through her nose – the sound of her inhalation covered by the surrounding din of the club – and felt herself melt further as the scent of spicy aftershave and something she could only define as pure masculinity invaded her nose and imprinted itself on her brain. If they'd been alone right now, she felt certain that she'd be trying to relieve Ron of his clothing.

Meredith wasn't the type of person who slept around – it just wasn't in her nature – but there was something about Ron that flicked a switch inside her brain, which just made her panties want to come off.

As Ron turned away from the bar, he spotted by chance Shane Helms, Jeff and Matt Hardy coming in through the front door. The guys were here to help him celebrate closing the deal on his new home. He turned back to Meredith who was looking up at him curiously.

"Some of my friends just walked in. Are you going to be here for a while?" he asked hopefully.

"That's the plan," she said, raising her glass to him.

Ron smiled. "Good. I'll see you in a few minutes then, Butterfly." He reached for one of her hands and raised it to his lips, placing a single, slow kiss upon the skin. Then, with another dazzling smile, he turned away and headed into the crowd to meet the guys.

Meredith watched Ron walk away, utterly enchanted with his appearance, his smell, and what she'd seen of his personality so far. She was so distracted by her thoughts of Ron that she didn't realize her cellphone was vibrating against her hip.

When the vibrations finally registered to Meredith's pleasure-distracted brain, she looked down to her belt with a sense of foreboding striking her square in the chest.

Holding in the sigh that threatened to escape, she pulled the phone off her belt with one hand while setting her drink down on the bar with the other. She flipped the phone open and held it up to her right ear, covering her left ear with her free hand to block out as much noise as possible to be able to hear the person on the other end of the call.

"Hello?"

Meredith listened to the woman she'd left in charge of the group home explaining how Kelly had gone into labor and needed to go to the hospital.

Meredith knew she had no choice but to leave – and told the woman on the other end of the phone call that she was on her way – but couldn't help the sinking feeling in her heart.

As she flipped the phone shut, Meredith looked around for Ron. It proved to be a futile effort, though. Like playing _Where's Waldo? _with a six foot tall sexy black man.

Unfortunately, Meredith had never been very good at finding Waldo.

Reluctantly, and with disappointment weighing heavily on her, Meredith began to make her way toward the front door. She tried to convince herself that what happened – the timing was for the best, but somehow it didn't quite manage to sink in.

~*~*~*~*

"Wait until you guys see this woman," Ron said with a hint of excitement in is voice. "She's gorgeous! Got this skin like warm caramel and these eyes..." He went on about her attributes for a few more moments until Matt stopped him.

"So what's her name?" Matt asked.

The question made Ron pause.

"She didn't tell me yet," he said, looking slightly embarrassed over the admittance. "But she was flirting with me and she certainly looked interested." Something he could say honestly and without conceit.

As they arrived at the bar, Ron was disappointed when he didn't immediately see the woman he'd dubbed 'Butterfly'.

"She was right here when I left her," he explained to the other three men as he turned to search the crowd he'd just come through. It was a futile effort, though he didn't realize it yet, because by this point Meredith had already left the building and was currently driving away.

"Why don't you ask the bartender, man?" Jeff suggested, indicating the man standing behind the bar further down. "Maybe he can tell you which way this girl went."

Ron nodded and made a beeline for the other man, leaving Jeff, Matt and Shane to watch. What they saw was Ron getting the guy's attention and then making a description of the woman he'd been talking to earlier while gesturing with his hands, then Ron's expression turning from hopeful to disappointed.

Ron came back to the guys after a minute, regarding them in silence for a brief moment before letting out a disappointed sigh.

"He said she got a phone call like right after I left her standing here, then she took off after that."

"Damn, that sucks, dude," Shane said sympathetically.

"Do you know anything about her?" Matt asked, wondering if the woman might have revealed some minor clue as to her identity.

"Nah, man. Just that she's been in the area less than a year."

All of them knew 'in the area' was too general a term to provide Ron with any real use towards finding his mystery woman.

"She wore a butterfly pendant around her neck," Ron added, slipping into his brief memory of the woman. "And she had a picture of a silver butterfly on her shirt."

None of the guys had seen a woman wearing either of these things – obviously, or else they'd have been able to connect the proverbial dots and tell Ron he'd just met a friend of Shannon's woman. Each of them had met Meredith at some point previously, though hadn't ended up spending much time around her, admittedly. She was usually at the group home when C.J. wasn't, and when C.J. was at the group home, the guys more often than not were scattered, traveling for their jobs with the wrestling company each worked for.

~*~*~*~*

Though a little disappointed about his Butterfly's disappearance, Ron resolved himself to forgetting about her for now and remembering what he'd come her for – celebrating the purchase of his new home.

Shane – who hadn't yet seen his new place – asked him to describe it over beers while the four of them sat around one of the circular tables.

"It's great," Ron said, easily warming to the topic. "It's got a curved driveway with a bunch of trees lining both sides so you can't even see the house from the road."

Privacy had been an important point for Ron in considering what home to buy, so this feature had really stood out to him about the place he'd ended up choosing.

"The outside of the house is this old red brick, its still in good condition."

Ron liked that old-fashioned style look. The appearance of vinyl siding, though easy to care for, was just so fake to him that he'd turned down a few acceptable houses because of it.

"There's a nice size basement with windows and a bathroom – just a toilet and a sink. I'm gonna put in a rec room down there. Pool table, big flat screen TV, couch and chairs. Maybe even a small bar to serve drinks from..."

Ron was also considering the possibility of putting in a pinball machine but didn't mention it because he wasn't totally sure he wanted to do that at this point.

"There's two floors. Four bedrooms, plus one room off the master bedroom that could be used as storage space or a really big walk-in closet."

_Or maybe a nursery..._

"There's a big kitchen with an island, living room and dining room on the main floor. There's also a bathroom and a room for an office with shelf space for books."

Ron didn't have much use for an office, but he figured he might as well set one up in there.

He spent a few more minutes talking about the house and his possible plans for setting it up before he was done.

~*~*~*~*

"Here you go, man," Jeff said to Ron later that evening. He set a beer in front of Ron before seating himself directly across from the other man.

"Thanks," Ron said with a small nod of acknowledgment before raising the bottle to his lips to take a drink.

"So," Jeff began, pausing to take a drink. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you."

"What? That you're gay?" Ron asked with a slightly drunken laugh.

Jeff made a half-hearted attempt at laughter before his expression turned serious.

"No, not exactly. I asked the company for some time off." He watched as Ron's expression slowly sobered and he gave Jeff a strange look.

"You ain't shittin' me?"

Jeff shook his head. "No, man, I'm not. I just... need a break. I want to be home for a while, to visit parts of myself that I haven't seen lately. And to remember why I love wrestling so much. The joy of going out to the ring and getting pops from the crowd, it just hasn't been there lately."

"Are you sure its not just the added pressure of getting your push for the title?" Ron asked, somewhere between concern and wanting to support Jeff's decision.

"No," Jeff replied. "That is part of it, but only a small part. I just had a hard time realizing it for a while."

Ron gave Jeff a thoughtful glance before he spoke. "So what changed?"

"Well, I had a long talk with C.J. and she- What?" Jeff asked, noting the frown that had suddenly appeared on Ron's face.

Ron hesitated a moment to collect his thoughts before he spoke.

"Is there anything going on between you and Shannon's woman?"

Jeff immediately tensed at the question, feeling that Ron should have known that he'd never sleep with a woman who was seeing someone – or married, for that matter – especially not the girlfriend of one of his best friends.

"If you weren't my friend, I would've already punched you in the mouth for that," Jeff said, anger tinting his words. He leaned forward in his seat and rested his arms on the table, looking deadly serious.

"Hey, man, no offense meant," Ron said, holding his hands up with his palms facing Jeff. "It's just, you and her seem really close-"

"We are," Jeff interrupted. "As friends. Nothing more."

"I just thought you might have been drawn to her because she's a lot like Beth."

"What?!" Jeff asked, the surprise evident on his face.

"Not in looks, obviously. Well, their eyes are similar, for one thing. But have you seen the way she gestures with her hands when she talks? Or the way her nose wrinkles at a dirty joke before she ends up laughing about it? Or even how she sighs and rolls her eyes when someone's acting like a jackass, but then she can't help but smile about it in the next moment?"

From the surprised expression on Jeff's face, Ron guessed that the other man had been unaware of the similarities between the two women.

Jeff had been stopped cold by Ron's revelation. He'd never seen the similarities before but now – comparing memories of both women – he was amazed that he'd gone on this long without noticing any of the things Ron had just mentioned. He flopped back in his chair, muttering a swear word.

Ron chuckled, drawing Jeff's attention back to him and off of his thoughts.

"What?" Jeff asked, wondering what Ron found so amusing.

"You should see the look on your face," Ron said. He imitated Jeff's dumbfounded expression, then started laughing again.

Jeff was silent for a moment, but Ron's laughter proved infectious and soon he was laughing right along with him.


End file.
